Forgotten
by Skyweaver
Summary: "Who's Inuyasha?" "Kagome, don't you remember me?" "No. Who are you?" "I love.. loved you." "But I love Sesshomaru. Who are you?" Completed.
1. Promises

A/N: Well, this is under Romance/Drama, but I'm not quite sure I can pull it off. ^_^;;; This is the first chapter, and I guess it's sort of short. My apologies, I don't like short chapters. Um.. please tell me if there are any awful mistakes, and please, please review. This is sort of a testing chapter, to see if the rest is worth posting, so don't hesitate to share your opinion. ^_^  
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Disclaimer: Who wouldn't want to own Inuyasha? In any case, I don't.   
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Chapter 1  
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"Sit!"  
  
"Bitch!"  
  
Shippo watched, resigned, as the now familiar scene played itself out in the clearing ahead of him. Kagome nimbly   
dodged Inuyasha's claws, and headed for the well in grim determination. Seeing this, Inuyasha pulled himself off the dirt and gave chase.   
  
"Get back here, girl!"   
  
"It's just a week this time!" Kagome yelled over her shoulder. "I have to study and take my math midterm and then I can   
come back, I promise!"  
  
Shippo waved a little white hankerchief to show his support for Kagome. It seemed appropriate, for Kagome had given him   
the hankerchief just yesterday, when he'd scraped his knee and it bled, a little. Although he hated Kagome leaving almost   
as much as Inuyasha did, Shippo figured anyone would want to get away from the demanding dog demon once in a   
while. Especially when he was in one of his moods. Like now.   
Kagome suddenly realized, as she glanced over her shoulder, that her persuer was no longer behind her. Well, she thought, with a sense of relief, maybe he's finally given up and gone into the woods to sulk. Alas, poor Kagome,   
nothing is ever that easy. Kagome turned around to find Inuyasha scowling down at her. "Eep!" were her exact words, as   
she smiled weakly at him. "Look," she said hastily, "I'll come back, okay? I promise, promise, promise."  
  
"Promises are just words." InuYasha said. "How do I know you'll really come back?"  
  
"Haven't I come back all the other times before?!" Kagome's patience was wearing thin.  
  
"After I _dragged_ you back! What if there's a shard emergency?"  
  
Kagome studied her companion. Despite his rough tone and careless demeanor, there was a hint of worry in his golden   
eyes. Impulsively, Kagome stepped forward and gave Inuyasha a gentle hug. "I wouldn't leave you guys all alone." she  
assured him. "I want to get the shards too. Besides, you know where I live."  
Leaving a rather stunned dog demon behind, Kagome swung her legs into the well, gave Shippo one last wave, and   
disappeared from view. Tearing his eyes away from the well, Shippo studied Inuyasha, and laughed. "You like her, you  
like her!" the little kitsune sang as he danced around Inuyasha's feet. "Do not!" was the automatic reply to his taunt.   
With that, Inuyasha escaped the kitsune's teasing to sulk in the trees, his favorite activity to do when Kagome went back to her time.  
  
*****  
  
Kagome walked throught the public park, holding Sota's hand. It was nice to spend some time with her family once in a   
while, especially her little brother. Even if he could get annoying sometimes, she still missed him on her travels. "I'm   
glad you came home, sis." Sota spoke up suddenly. Kagome smiled down at him. CRACK. Sota yelled, alarmed, as a   
baseball bounced off the back of Kagome's head. "Kagome!" Kagome was slumped on the ground, unconscious. Sota   
picked up the baseball and glared around accusingly. "You hit my big sister!" he yelled at a man in a red baseball cap.  
The man paled. "Well, I didn't mean to! The batter just hit the ball and.. " he trailed off at the sight of Sota's glare.   
"Get her to a hospital!"   
  
*****  
  
"Inuyasha! You have to come down sometime!" Miroku looked up the tree at him. "You can't sulk the whole week away!"  
  
"I'm not sulking!"   
  
"Then what do you call sitting up in a tree all day and scowling, hm?"  
  
"It's better than you! I heard Sango scream. You must have been spying on her in the creek again, eh?"  
  
Miroku was about to answer when he was hit on the head. Sango smacked him again for good measure, then looked up   
at Inuyasha. "Inuyasha! Kagome is coming back in two days. Do you really want her to find out that you spent the whole   
week doing nothing but sit in that tree of yours?"  
  
Inuyasha considered this grudgingly, then jumped off. "Fine. I'll show that bitch that I can live without her."  
  
*****  
  
Kagome blinked. The lights above her were bright and irritating. And why was she laying down? She pulled herself   
carefully up the bed, and spotted a little boy on the chair beside her bed. "Hello," she said, smiling. "Who are you?"  
  
*****  
  
Kagome looked out the rain streaked window glumly. It was hard to be a person without a hint of her memories.   
Amnesia, the doctor had said wisely. It was the temporary kind, should go away in a few days, two weeks at the most.   
Thus assured,her family had checked Kagome out of the hospital to rest at home. Kagome glanced at her calendar.   
Something about the date was digging at her. Sunday the 6th, she mused. What was so special about that? Before she   
could ponder further about this curiosity, a timid knock sounded at her door. "Come in," she called, figuring it was Sota.   
She was right. The little brother that she couldn't remember no matter hard she tried was standing at the door, looking   
terribly unsure of himself. Kagome smiled at the child. It was bitterly amusing to see how Sota seemed almost afraid of   
this new Kagome. "Maybe you can help me with something." Kagome invited, trying to put the boy at ease. It seemed to   
work, for Sota immediately plopped onto her bed and nodded eagerly. "Of course, Kagome-chan." Despite her lack of   
memory, Kagome felt a pang of hurt at the way Sota addressed her as a close family friend instead of a big sister.   
Ignoring this, she told Sota about the feeling that was nagging at her. "I keep thinking that today is special, like I was   
supposed to be doing something. Do you know any special activity I have planned?"  
Sota thought this over, and finally beamed, glad to have a chance to make Kagome happy. "Well, one week ago you came  
back through the well." he offered. "And sometimes you go back in a week, so maybe you promised Inuyasha you'd go   
back today!"   
  
"Through the well?" Kagome echoed. "Promised Inu..yasha?"  
  
The smile on Sota's face faded. "Oh," he said sorrowfully. "You forgot about the Shikon no Tama too."  
  
"What's the Shikon no Tama?" Kagome asked, throughly confused now.   
  
Sota hesitated. "I'm not sure." he admitted. "You usually aren't home enough to tell me much about it."  
  
"But.. I promised someone I'd go back?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Oh," Sota assured. "You don't have to now. I mean, maybe you oughtta wait until your memory comes back, you know?"  
  
Kagome patted Sota's hand absently. "Is the Shikon no Tama important?"  
  
"Well," Sota said doubtfully. "I think you told me once that if a bad demon gets a hold of it, it could be the end of the   
  
world, or something like that."  
  
"I see." Kagome murmured. "Sota, if you don't mind, I'd like to take a nap now."  
  
"Of course." Sota slid off the bed and headed for the door.  
  
"Oh," Kagome spoke up. "One more thing, Sota. Did your sister Kagome ever break her promises?"  
  
Sota turned, his hand on the knob. "No. Never."  
  
*****  
  
Inuyasha growled, and slashed through the bloodsucker demon. "Miroku!" he yelled over his shoulder. "Get to the well!  
If Kagome comes back before this fight is over, she might get attacked!"   
  
Miroku grimaced, as he held his hand out in front of the bloodsucker's hatchlings. "As much as I'd love that, Inuyasha,  
I'm somewhat busy here."  
  
Inuyasha growled as he dodged one of the bloodsucker's fangs. "Where's Sango?"  
  
"Protecting Shippo and Kaede-baba. Don't worry, Kagome can take care of herself for a few minutes before  
we get there."  
  
"You'd better be right." Inuyasha muttered, dodging another attack.   
  
*****  
  
"Okay," Kagome said, looking at the old well doubtfully. "So I'm supposed to go through the well.." She swung her legs  
over the side and looked down uncertainly. "Here goes nothing." As Kagome closed her eyes and jumped down, she  
thought over her crazy decision. Even though all her good senses screamed at her to wait until her memory returned,   
a pair of heartbreakingly sad golden eyes kept haunting her. "Oof!" Kagome landed, and looked up. "Hey," she said   
aloud. "It stopped raining." She climbed through the well, and realized that she was in a completely different place from   
where she had started out. "I hope I'm in the right place." Kagome began walking through the woods, keeping an eye out  
for a dog demon. "So I'm supposed to look for Inuyasha." she muttered and she sidestepped some weeds. "I sure hope   
he's here somewhere close."  
  
  
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Ending Notes: I have a very microscopic Japanese vocabulary, and that's just the English spelling version. Please tell me if I made any mistakes in the grand total of the two times I used Japanese in this chapter. ^_^ 


	2. Illusions

A/N: Thanks to Miccy, haa, SacredWings, Lyn, Amibasuki, Jezunya, ksha2222, kristy and IC Dragons for reviewing! And to Emmi-chan, I hope this got to you before your algebra test. ^_^ I'm so happy it's almost pathetic. Anyway, to Oniko, this chapter introduces Sesshomaru. Sorry about the .. uh.. hook that didn't deliver... *bows*  
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Disclaimer: Guess who I want for Christmas? *looks at a nervous Inuyasha* hehe.. Anyway, I don't own him. (yet)  
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Chapter 2  
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Rin hummed nervously as she wandered through the forest. Sessho-sama had lost the trail of his newest rival, and was in a dangerous mood. He had ordered Jaken-sama to take Rin somewhere safe to play before he lost his temper. But of course, finding himself above such menial tasks, Jaken had told Rin not to go too far away from the campsite, then promptly left her to go steal some food from a nearby village. Rin had spent a delightful hour playing in a field of blue flowers, but now the sun was setting and she was getting nervous. No doubt Sessho-sama would be upset if she didn't get back before nighttime, and Jaken-sama would somehow make it seem as if she had run off by herself. Rin sniffled bravely and trudged on. Perhaps in that next clearing..   
*****  
Kagome was getting tired. She had been walking for the better part of the afternoon, and was no where nearer to finding Inuyasha than she was to growing wings and flying herself out of this mess. By now she'd even settle for just finding the well and getting back home. She was just about to give up all hope and lay down on the soft looking dirt when she spotted a little figure ahead of her. If possible, the child seemed even more forlorn than Kagome was sure she herself looked. The little girl looked up and hesitated. Kagome crept forward and smiled. "Hello." she said softly. "Are you lost?" The child gave her a measuring look, then nodded. "I got separated from Sessho-sama!" Kagome smiled reassuringly. "Well now, don't cry. I'm sure if we work together, we can find him. What do you say?" The little girl beamed, her whole expression radiating relief and happiness. "Thank you! Sessho-sama will be so happy that you helped me." Kagome patted her head.   
"My name is Rin." the kid announced, gripping Kagome's hand with her small one. "And Sessho-sama is my.." she sounded the next word out slowly. "...surrogate...caretaker." she beamed up at Kagome. "That means he takes care of me." she added importantly. Kagome chuckled. "That's wonderful. Do you know anyone named Inuyasha? That's who I'm looking for."  
Rin shook her head seriously. "I don't know too many people. But Jaken-sama says that Sessho-sama is very important, so maybe he can help you!"  
Kagome nodded. "That's good. Now, do you remember where you came from?"  
"Well, I passed a big field of blue flowers, because that was where I was for the whole time. And I remember the sun was shining, and it made my face all hot."  
Kagome mulled over this information. "Which side of your face was all hot, Rin-chan?"  
Rin hesitated, then touched the left side of her face. "This side, because it made my cut hurt."  
"You got a cut?" Kagome knelt down and studied Rin's face. There was a small scratch on her face, right under her ear. It was minor, as if she'd accidently scraped by some rose bushes or another prickly plant. "Ouch." she said sympathetically. "Well, that was a great clue. So all we have to do is find the field of blue flowers and walk the opposite way from the direction you were going before!"  
Following Kagome's reasoning, the two of them neared the campsite in no time. "Oh!" Rin yelled happily. "It's just down the hill, Kagome-nechan." There was a thin thread of gray smoke rising above the trees, a sure sign of a lively campfire. "Sessho-sama made the fire just for me," Rin explained cheerily. "He and Jaken-sama don't need fires."  
"Why not, Rin-chan?" Kagome asked, confused. The weather was dropping in degrees quickly, and Kagome had wished several times, while walking with Rin, that she'd brought a jacket or a sweater along with her through the well. "Well," Rin said, a wise expression on her little face, "of course they don't need to keep warm. Sessho-sama and Jaken-sama are demons."  
*****  
Kagome was silent for a few minutes after Rin's careless remark. She'd never considered the idea of getting help from a demon. From what Sota had said, she'd figured that Inuyasha had quite a few enemies in the demon world. And she had no way of telling whether or not Sesshomaru wanted Inuyasha dead. 'Well,' she decided. 'Might as well play it safe and not mention Inuyasha at first.'  
To her dismay, the plan turned out to be a dud. Sesshomaru was standing over Jaken in a threatening manner when the latter spotted Rin and Kagome. "There she is, master!" he cried. "She's back!" Sesshomaru turned around, and Jaken scurried away while he had the chance. Rin giggled happily and ran up to Sesshomaru, climbing into his arms. "Sessho-sama!" she greeted. "I got lost, but Kagome-nechan helped me find my way back to you and Jaken-sama!" Sesshomaru grudgingly patted the girl on her back and looked past her to Kagome, who was standing in the shadows. "Kagome.." he mused. She moved forward into the light of the fire, and a flicker of surprise passed Sesshomaru's face. "Inuyasha's bitch. What are you doing here?"  
"I am not his bitch." she said, insulted.   
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "And how is that? You've been traveling with him for over a year. I'd think you two would be pretty familiar with each other by now."  
Kagome didn't answer. "Who are you?" she asked instead. Sesshomaru said nothing for a moment. He watched her, a contemplating look on his face. "I'm Inuyasha's brother, Sesshomaru." Kagome brightened noticeably at that. "You are? That's great! Can you help me find him? I'm supposed to.." her voice trailed off at the gleam in Sesshomaru's eyes. "Of course I can." he answered smoothly. "After all, I'm sure my dear brother would be eternally grateful to have his shard detector back."  
"Shard detector..?"  
"Kagome-san, have you suffered a loss in memory?"  
She stuttered. "Yes, I suppose you could say that. But aren't I lucky that I've landed in safe hands?" She smiled charmingly at him.  
Sesshomaru smiled in return, a dangerous smile. "Very lucky indeed."  
*****  
Rin sat next to Sesshomaru, playing with his silky white hair. Sesshomaru twitched away from her. "Sessho-sama," Rin, said undeterred, and climbed into his arms. "Is Kagome-nechan staying with us?"  
Sesshomaru looked at the little bundle is his arms. "Do you want her to, Rin?"  
Rin nodded ecstatically. "Kagome-san is so nice! And she looks pretty. She smells pretty too."  
Sesshomaru grunted. His demon nose reminded him constantly of just how pretty Kagome smelled. Speaking of Kagome.. she was sleeping, curled up, in Rin's blankets and sleeping mat. The girl looked absolutely exhausted from her day in Feudal Japan. This shift in sleeping arrangements had cropped up some unexpected problems. Rin had been delegated to use Jaken's equipment, which was a few feet too short for Kagome to use, and Jaken was told that he could spend one night without the luxury of covers. If it made him feel better, he could think of it as punishment for letting Rin go off by herself. However, less than a hour had passed before Rin had snuck into Sesshomaru's blankets, complaining that Jaken-sama's sleeping mat smelled bad. And, for some reason that he himself couldn't fathom, Sesshomaru had let the child stay, curled up in his arms, where she soon drifted asleep, after mumbling something about "picking blue flowers with Kagome-nechan tomorrow to give to Sessho-sama because (yawn) he's such a -a good (yawn) c-caretaker. (yawn)."  
*****  
Kagome yawned and squinted. The bright sunlight filtered through the trees, casting shifting shadows across her face. She sighed and took a quick glance around the circle they slept in. Rin was nothing but a lump under a thick blanket, and the two demons were no where in sight. The campfire in the center of the ring of sleeping equipment was smoldering under dark ashes. Kagome pulled herself out of the blanket and smoothed her wrinkled clothes absently. She needed to find a creek to wash up..  
*****  
Sesshomaru stood at the river's edge, looking at the mountains in the distance. What had been a vague plan just last night was slowly being refined and tuned into perfection. There was something obviously wrong with the human girl, and Rin was just as obviously attached to her. Sesshomaru thought over this last revelation. Sesshomaru tolerated the human child, even doted on her sometimes. And he certainly would kill anyone who would dare to hurt the little girl. And of course, Sesshomaru could somewhat understand Rin's frame of mind when it came to Kagome. A little girl traveling with two male demons must certainly long for female companion once in a while. Not that the child ever complained. It was just as well, for although Sesshomaru was a calm person by nature, when he did lose his temper, the consequences were drastic. Jaken could certainly testify to that. The child's obedience was certainly a virtue in this case. But concerning his half brother's bitch..   
Kagome hadn't recognized him, that much was evident. Sesshomaru was a expert at telling the differences between frauds and the real thing, and anyhow, he doubted that the girl could act so well. Besides, he was certain that his bastard of a relative would never let his treasured mate wander straight into Sesshomaru's territory like that. If Rin hadn't liked the girl so much, Kagome would be dead in a ditch somewhere, preferably where Inuyasha could find her before her corpse became unrecognizable. 'But', Sesshomaru mused, 'that would be a waste of a perfect opportunity.' After all, hostages don't just drop into lives that easily. Sesshomaru had no qualms about killing to get what he wanted, but he preferred not to let Rin witness the bloodbaths that would no doubt take place. She was much too innocent to be exposed to that at such an early age. Though his concerns might be a little on the late side...   
Sesshomaru heard a rustle behind him, and caught the unmistakable scent of Kagome.   
"Sesshomaru-sama?" she ventured timidly, after a few moments silence.   
Sesshomaru turned around slowly. "Kagome-san," he greeted. "Good morning."  
"Good morning." she hesitated, as if debating with herself over an inner issue, than made up her mind and looked back up at him. "When do you think we'll get back to Inuyasha? I have an urgent feeling that we have pressing business together."  
Sesshomaru smiled, a expression on his face that Kagome couldn't quite make out. "Well, Kagome-san, my brother and I travel too much to keep in touch constantly. I think the best thing to do will be to take you back to my estate. From there, we can send out a bulletin informing Inuyasha of your whereabouts and situation. He knows where my domain is, so from that point on the only thing to do will be to wait."  
Kagome grinned. "Sesshomaru-sama, I can't tell you how grateful I am to you."  
Sesshomaru looked at her, his face carefully devoid of all emotion. "I'm sure you are."  
  
  
  
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Ending Notes: Thank you to everyone who reviewed! If they didn't, I wouldn't have had the motivation to grind this chapter out so quickly. I hope that you guys will keep reading and reviewing! I don't know how many more chapters this fic has, but it's not over yet. ^_^ As for the pairing, this fic is a IYxK story. My sincerest apologies to people who wanted Kagome to end up with Sessho-sama. My friend Amy was sort of urging me to write a SesshoxKagome fic. Should I? If you find any mistakes in this story, email me at FoxfireKitsune@Aol.com  
For the people who like CCS also, please read my CCS fic? It's called 'Hiding', and it's an ExT fic. And, as always,  
PLEASE REVIEW!! I've come up with a saying,  
"The more reviews the story gets, the faster the author writes." *hint hint*  
C 


	3. Changes

A/N: Hello, all. First of all, like always, I want to thank everyone for reviewing.   
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To Zel, Wiccachic2000, and Steph, sorry if you were expecting KagomexSesshomaru.. ^_^;;;; However, if you guys think I can pull it off, I sort of want to do a SesshoxKagome one too.  
Thanks to Ranma Inverse for reviewing, and I'm sure you can keep Sesshy in character. ^_^ After all, even I was able to do it without messing up too badly.  
Thanks to Kakumeiko and Emmi-chan for your extremely encouraging reviews,   
and to Jezunya, kristy and Waku-chan, I'm glad you guys like the pairing.   
And to Voldersnort, I love your user name! Also, time is valuable, but so is anime^_^ I'm definitely going to gouge some time out of this awful schedule to get working on a SesshoxKagome fic.   
To sammy-chan, this fic will definitely be a IYxK pairing. Thanks for reviewing!  
To Washu~Thanks for the review...I love reviews  
To Maijia~Haha..I'm glad you like the story. And yes, it'll definitely be IYxK. I am thinking of doing a SesshyxKagome one though...  
To Dragon Gal~Thanks for your.. encouraging review!  
To Nizuno Mikomi~Yep, this is a IYxK gic. I didn't know there were so many SxK out there.. can you recomend a few good ones?  
Aslee and KampaiiChan~Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!  
Thanks to everyone for reviewing...it does wonders for my inspiration. *smiles*  
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Disclaimer: I'd love to own Inuyasha. As it is, however, he belongs to Kagome and Rumiko Takahashi.   
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Chapter 3  
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The next couple of days were spent rather pleasantly traveling through the countryside to Sesshomaru's estate. Kagome and Rin spent the bulk of the time getting acquainted and giggling over their numerous secrets. Jaken killed half the time worshipping Sesshomaru and the other half hiding from his master. Said master was always in the lead of the small band, and sometimes disappeared over the horizon to scout out the next mile or so. The nights were spent enjoyably next to a warm fire, with Kagome telling Rin stories and Jaken and Sesshomaru pretending not to listen. So, naturally, Kagome and Rin were somewhat disappointed when Sesshomaru announced one cold morning that he expected them to reach the castle that same day.  
  
Kagome gaped. The stone castle in front of her was bigger than anything she'd ever seen before. It was similar, in size, to a skyscraper or large office building. Sesshomaru ignored her look of amazement and stepped up to the gate. He considered it for a second, then sliced off the lock. "Jaken, make a new lock." he said as he strolled through. "Does he do this every time?" Kagome whispered to Rin. Rin shook her head, still staring at their new home in awe. "I don't know, Kagome-nechan. I've never been here before. It's ... big!" Jaken scurried through the gate, letting the metal door slam as Kagome reached for it. "Well." she huffed, pulling the heavy door open for Rin. "He doesn't have to be so obvious about it."  
  
"This way, this way." As soon as Kagome and Rin entered the immense dwelling, Jaken descended on them like a hawk. "Where's Sessho-sama?" Rin demanded, clutching Kagome's hand tightly. "Sesshomaru-sama is taking care of business. He's missed a lot while traveling." Jaken said haughtily. "Let me show you to your rooms, I have business to attend to also. We can't waste time."  
  
Kagome looked around the vast room cautiously. It wasn't that she thought it wasn't safe, it was just that the room was awfully dark, and there was no way to tell whether or not anything dangerous hid in it. However, as soon as she stepped past the threshold, the room lit up with a soft pinkish light. Kagome gave a soft gasp. It was absolutely beautiful. There was a large canopy bed with light pink curtains around it, and dark wooden furniture placed tastefully around. It resembled the room of a princess, or someone equally important. Kagome giggled and flopped onto the bed. How wonderful Sesshomaru was to be so generous with a guest!  
  
Rin frowned up at Jaken. He'd just shown Kagome to her room, then told her in clear terms that she was to stay there until permission to leave was given. Kagome had seen the upset look on Rin's face and was about to object, but Jaken had reminded her sharply that she was a guest relying on Sesshomaru-sama's generosity, and she'd do well to act as one. Kagome had shut her mouth abruptly and given Rin a helpless look. No matter how much they both despised Jaken, he was still Sesshomaru-sama's personal servant and he could relay their behavior back to the master, who's kindness both Kagome and Rin depended on. Now Rin was being taken to her own room, and she desperately wanted to go back to the safety of either Sesshomaru or Kagome's presence. Rin didn't like Jaken-sama. He was someone to respect, to be sure, for Sesshomaru had told her to. But he scared her much more than Sesshomaru ever had. There was just some kind of uneasiness tinting the atmosphere around Jaken. But of course, Rin was much too proud to show her fear. Jaken-sama was Sessho-sama's servant, and Rin was certain that Sessho-maru would protect her. After all, he always had.   
  
Sesshomaru, unaware of his role in Rin's thoughts, glanced at the dancing fire. Jaken had just been by, assuring him that both Kagome and Rin were settled in their respective rooms. Then the little toad had hurried off to his own quarters. Seems like he was glad to be back after a few years of traveling. Sesshomaru was relaxed in his chair, perfectly still. However, his mind was a whirl of activity. First on his business list was Inuyasha's bitch. Even if she didn't remember the hanyou, Inuyasha was sure to remember her. And Sesshomaru had no doubts that his half brother would come running straight into Sesshomaru's property when he received the rumor that was carefully directed to him. Surely by now he'd noticed Kagome's missing status. And there was no doubt in Sesshomaru's mind that he'd be frantic. His brother might be a weak half human, but Sesshomaru had to admit that he was unwaveringly loyal and protective of what he thought of as his.   
  
Inuyasha paced the length of Kaede's hut. "Where could she be?!" Miroku watched from a corner, wearily leaning against the sturdy wood. "We've asked everyone, Inuyasha. Are you sure she's not just back in her time? Maybe there's been an emergency."  
Inuyasha glared at the houshi. "She promised to be back a week ago." he growled tersely. "And the kid said she came through the well."  
Miroku sighed. They'd gone over the information again and again. "Let me ask one more time," Miroku said slowly. "Did Souta say anything else that might help us? Like where she'd go?" Inuyasha frowned. "He said something about a baseball, whatever that is. I don't think that it's important." Miroku nodded. "It's probably just something from the future, like Kagome-san's tests and things." The two males sank into another heavy silence. The door burst open, and Shippo and Sango burst in. "You'll never believe what we've heard!" they shouted at the same time.  
Miroku and Inuyasha glanced at each other. "Is it about Kagome?" Inuyasha demanded.   
Shippo nodded earnestly. "It's awful!" he elaborated. Inuyasha practically pounced on the little kitsune. "Tell me now." Sango pushed her way between Inuyasha and Shippo, who were death-glaring at each other. "It was a rumor," she said, still mildly breathless from the rush. "Some villagers were talking about a powerful miko traveling with a full demon, a toad-like demon and a small girl child. One of the villagers spotted them on his annual trip from here to the capital city. He said that the miko looked almost exactly like Kikyou."  
"Sesshomaru." Inuyasha breathed. "That bastard. How'd he get his hands on Kagome?"  
"Listen to this, though." Sango interrupted. "This is the odd part. The man said that the miko was happy! She wasn't fighting or tied up or anything. In fact, she was laughing and playing with the little girl."  
"It can't be Kagome-san then." Miroku protested. "She knows how dangerous Sesshomaru is."  
Sango sighed impatiently. "You two shouldn't interrupt anymore. I'm not done. The man was walking on a trail by theirs, and at the front the two paths merged. By then the youkai's group was far ahead, but look what the villager found on the ground." Sango held up a silver chain with the word 'Destiny' engraved on a small silver star. Inuyasha and Miroku looked at her expectantly. Sango groaned. "I'm done now," she grumped. "You can talk, you idiots." Inuyasha grabbed the necklace from her. "This is Kagome's necklace." he said. In fact, Inuyasha remembered this certain piece of jewelry very clearly...  
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"Hey, girl."  
Kagome looked up, annoyance shining in her clear blue eyes. "What, Inuyasha?   
And please call me by my name. How'd you like it if no one called you by your name all the time?"  
Inuyasha frowned, but didn't apologize. "What's that silver thing hanging around your neck?"  
"It's a necklace, Inuyasha. It's not as if you've never seen one of these."  
"A necklace." Inuyasha repeated, his hand coming up unconsciously to his prayer beads.   
Kagome giggled. "Not that kind, silly. This one doesn't do anything to me if someone says the word 'sit'."  
Crash!  
"Bitch!" Cursing floated up to Kagome as she looked down at Inuyasha. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I forgot."  
"Right." Inuyasha dragged himself up, glaring all the while. Kagome smiled at him apologetically. "Look," she said, changing the subject. "See? It says 'Destiny'." Inuyasha looked at the little silver word doubtfully. "You believe in destiny?"  
"Of course!' Kagome said cheerfully. "Don't you? There's one person out there that's just meant for you. Inuyasha, how can you not believe that? It's like saying you don't believe in true love or something like that."  
Inuyasha growled and looked away. "I don't-"  
"Why ever not?" Kagome's face showed genuine confusion.   
"I just don't." Inuyasha muttered, not looking at her.  
Kagome was reaching out to Inuyasha when he spoke. "It's all a bunch of sh-"  
"Don't cuss!"  
"There goes half his vocabulary!" Shippo had woken up from his slumber in Kagome's arms and decided to add his opinion to the conversation. And so the moment was lost.  
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"So it is Kagome." Inuyasha murmured, almost as if talking to himself. "But why would she trust Sesshomaru? And why did she go with him in the first place?" Suddenly his head snapped up. "He'll do something to her." he growled. "That bastard will hurt her."  
Miroku inched closer to Sango. "Inuyasha's right. We better start searching before something terrible happens." Sango, in turn, moved away from Miroku and his wandering hands. "The man said they were heading south. Do you think they're going to Sesshomaru's domain?"  
Inuyasha was already out the door. "Let's move."  
  
Sesshomaru sat onto his bed. Traveling had its good points, he reflected. But the comforts of home really were missed. Perhaps next time he was on the search for a enemy he'd just send out his minions. Then he could stay in the luxury of home. And Rin needed to start her schooling.. Sesshomaru didn't like the thought of her being wild and free all through childhood. Those people usually ended up dead, poor or enslaved by demons. Kagome, he mused thoughtfully. She seemed well educated. She talked correctly, in any case, even if she sometimes sprinkled unusual phrases into her conversation. She would be a good tutor for Rin..  
However. Sesshomaru's planning was spoilt when he remembered the message he'd received a couple of minutes ago. The rumor planted to one of the villagers of the pathetic village that Inuyasha preferred had finally taken off. The necklace had been the perfect touch, for the halfling and his group were on their way south that very moment. Sesshomaru sighed. Perhaps he'd better rethink his bargain with his half brother. He'd planned just to trade the girl for the Tetsusaiga, but it would be hard to find another suitable teacher for Rin. Anyone else would surely be petrified of him and his palace, and Sesshomaru didn't trust a defenseless human child with a full grown youkai. Perhaps, Sesshomaru deliberated, perhaps he should just kill his useless brother and his entourage, then tell Kagome of their unfortunate demise. Now that she'd seemed to have completely forgotten Inuyasha, Sesshomaru was sure that his death would have a much smaller impact on her. 'Hm..' a satisfied smile graced Sesshomaru's finely sculpted face. 'That just might work..'  
  
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Ending Notes: Well, Merry Christmas to everyone! I'm going to LA for a couple of days, but the car ride there is like, 6-7 hours. (I live in San Jose). So, I'm going to ask my dad if I can borrow his laptop and if permission is given, I'll be typing all the way! Now, just to see if my dad agrees...   
Keep reviewing! You have no idea how much faster that makes me write...  
Thanks for reading this fic! Oh yes, if I make any mistakes (Japanese, usually) in this chapter, email me at FoxfireKitsune@aol.com or tell me in your review! Thank you!!   
Happy Holidays.  
Friday, December 21, 2001.  
C  
(Review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review, review,) 


	4. Visions

A/N:Thank you all for reviewing! It was absolutely, fantastically amazing to come home after a 7 hour car ride (with my sister! -_-) and find an account of great reviews. I love all of your reviews! Thankyouthankyouthankyou.  
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Kimmy~Thanks for your review! I got it after I uploaded the third chapter, so you're in this one. ^_^  
Key~Thanks! Keeping people in character is pretty hard. I'm glad you think I did it well. And I'm sorry that the pairing doesn't agree with you. ^_^ Your reviews are still so nice though.  
Stephie~I love your review! It is so, so, x100 encouraging! And I love your comment about the "safe hands" thing. And I'm really glad you think my fic is "happy" 'cause that's what I was aiming for. ^_^  
vernal equinox~Isn't it cool that we're both from practically the same place? It's funny to find someone online that you don't know lives practically next door! And LA... the most fun I had there was the 5 hours I managed to steal off the laptop.  
Chu~Thanks! Here's the next chapter, enjoy! (hopefully)  
Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I absolutely 100% love reviews, they're the best thing since sliced bread! And Josh Hartnett! (whoactedinPearlHarborwithBenAffleckwhoohootwohottiesinonemoviesorryIgethyperthinkingabouthim)  
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Disclaimer: Inuyasha doesn't belong to me, although I'd gladly accept him, Sesshomaru or Miroku as a Christmas present.   
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Chapter 4  
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Inuyasha squinted against the sun. "Hey! Inuyasha!" The dog demon looked down to see Miroku calling up to him. "Lunch is over. Come on!"  
Inuyasha gave an almost imperceptible nod. "I'm coming."   
*Kagome, please be all right.*  
Almost as if he could read his mind, Miroku told Inuyasha, once the latter had jumped off the tree, "She'll be fine. We're almost there." Miroku knew how worried Inuyasha was, so he didn't mention the fact that they were completely and utterly lost. Not as if Inyasha need telling, though. Not one of them had a clue where Sesshomaru spent his time when he wasn't traveling, and no one they'd asked had known or had the nerve to tell. Miroku sighed. He really hoped his words would become true before it was too late.  
  
Sesshomaru leaned against a wall in his large garden. In the near distance, a little girl sat next to a young lady on a grassy field. Sesshomaru had expressed his wish that Kagome tutor Rin while they waited for Inuyasha to arrive. Of course, both Kagome and Rin had been delighted at his request. As he watched the pair contentedly, Jaken came to stand beside his master. "Lord Sesshomaru," he ventured. "Do you think it wise to let Rin become so attached to Inuyasha's bitch? She will be leaving in a little while, and the child shall be upset." Jaken wasn't really worried about the obnoxious little girl, but the more she seemed to like Kagome, the kinder the master became to the teenager. Jaken hated the thought of someone replacing his position. Why, any day now the master will tell him to leave, that Kagome can replace him. Jaken shuddered at the thought. 'No,' he thought, narrowing his eyes into slits. 'I won't let that happen.'  
  
Rin giggled and held up a flower. "This is pretty, Kagome-nechan. I'll give it to you."  
Kagome grinned. "That's so sweet, Rin-chan! Thank you." Rin nodded. "And here's another one for Sessho-sama." She held up an identical flower. "Kagome-nechan," Rin paused and looked up. "Are you going to marry Sessho-sama?" Kagome blushed, caught off guard. "O-o-of course not, Rin-chan! What a question!"  
"Do you find me so repulsing then?" A smooth voice sounded above Kagome. She looked up to see Sesshomaru standing over her, one eyebrow raised. "Oh no!" she said, horrified. "That's not what I meant at all!"   
Sesshomaru said skeptically, "Well, that's not how I heard it."  
"Oh.." Kagome was very red by now, her face hot. "What I meant was.." Luckily, before she got herself into too deep a mess, Rin interrupted. "Sessho-sama! A flower for you." she handed him the daisy. "You seem to give me a lot of flowers, Rin-chan." Sesshomaru remarked as the took the bloom carefully, as if it were some sort of rare treasure.   
"I love flowers, Sessho-sama." The child looked up at him, her large eyes sparkling. "Don't you love flowers?"  
Sesshomaru looked over at Kagome, who was smiling gently down at Rin. "Certainly."  
  
Kagome sat on her bed, deep in thought. Another pleasant day had passed, and now her lazy mind was wondering if her business with this Inuyasha person was even that important. "I mean," she said aloud to herself as she changed into pajamas. "I mean, I love it here with Rin-chan. And Sesshomaru-sama is so kind to me. Do I really want to go back with Inuyasha, who I don't even know?" As she was pondering over this question, a sudden flash of previously lost memory so strong it almost knocked her over reccurred.   
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"Inuyasha!"   
"What do you want, wench?"  
Huff. "I just wanted to check your wounds! You don't have to be rude to me."  
"Just my luck, to get stuck with an overly sensitive woman like you."  
"C'mon." Gently cajoling. "I just want to make sure you're okay."  
"I'm a hanyou, Kagome. I healed hours ago."  
"Are you sure?"  
Fiery golden eyes turned soft. "I'm sure."  
"Okay then." She turned to leave.  
"And..Kagome?"  
"Yes?"  
"Thanks."  
Surprise. "Thanks? For what?"  
Silence. Then, "For caring."  
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Kagome rocked herself back and forth on the soft sheets as tears rolled freely down her face. 'What was that?' she asked herself. 'And why am I crying? And those eyes... God, I miss him.'  
Another voice took over. 'Miss who? You don't even know who your memory is!'  
The first voice again. 'I know it's Inuyasha! And I know that I have feelings.. did I love him?'  
Voice two. 'I don't think it's possible. You don't even remember the guy! Besides, what about Sesshomaru? You know you love him.'  
'Love him? How is that..'  
'You love how he's so cold, but his eyes warm up when he looks at Rin, or at the little gifts she gives him. You love him because you see gentleness in there.. and you want to reach it.'  
Sniff. 'Silly romantic notions.'  
'But.. you are starting to feel _something_ for him, aren't you? Admit it.'  
Kagome groaned and punched her pillow into a satifying shape. "This is so confusing! Like something out of a soap opera.."  
She sniffed. "Might as well get some sleep."  
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"Kagome!"  
She turned around at the sound of her name and faced familiar eyes. Her heart skipped a beat. "Inuyasha?"  
She blinked, and realized who she was looking at. "Sesshomaru!"  
He looked at her, eyes unreadable. "Do you miss him?"  
"M-miss him? Who, Sesshomaru-sama?"  
"My brother. You miss him, I can tell. Did you love him?"  
"I- I don't remember him, Sesshomaru-sama."  
"But you remember your feelings for him." It wasn't a question, but rather a complete and definite statement.  
"I suppose so."  
"What did you feel?"  
"I'm not sure."  
"Tell me, Kagome. Please." Those eyes were so familiar and heart-breakingly sad.   
"I really don't know, Sesshomaru-sama."  
"Fine then." his voice turned brisk. "One more question, before I go."  
"Go? Where are you going, Sessh-"  
"What do you feel for me?"  
Kagome stared shocked. "I-" But before she could complete her sentence, the world before her began to fade away. "Sesshomaru-sama! Come back! I didn't answer you.."  
"It's too late."  
Then the voice, too, faded away, and Kagome was left standing alone.  
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"Ahh!" Kagome sat up in bed, gasping. "Oh my God." she murmured, pressing a hand to her furiously beating heart. "That was the worst dream I've ever had." Admittedly, the dream wasn't all that scary, but the feeling of utter lonliness left Kagome feeling awfully frightened. She lay back down on her bed, wishing with all her might for her memory to return, so it could get herself out of this confusing predicament.   
  
Inuyasha stared at the brightly glowing moon. If it were up to him, they would be traveling through the night, searching for Sesshomaru's domain until they found it. But the group consisted of him, two humans and a child demon. Three of them needed their rest, and as much as they too wanted to find Kagome, they couldn't do it if they were dead on their feet. So Inuyasha had to settle with resting during the nights. He sighed. Things always looked extra hopeless in the darkness. What if he never found Kagome? And even if he did, what was going to happen? The thought that Kagome didn't even resist Sesshomaru troubled him greatly. Was she brainwashed by his evil brother? Did she, gods forbid, have a change of heart? Was there an evil spell put upon her? These ponderings went through his mind, and try as he might, he couldn't get them out again. What was going to happen?  
  
Sesshomaru looked into the mirror. There were at least a dozen empty bottles on the table, and one nearly full one in his hand. Even though the liquor affected him much less than it would a human, enough quantities of it was sure to do the trick. Fortunately for Sesshomaru, the alcohol didn't affect his body, which healed the poison minutes after he drank it. However, he could get quite fuzzy for the time being, and that was enough for him. It meant he could wake up tomorrow with clear head and remember what he did the night before. Not that it was much to remember. Sesshomaru had decided to spend the night talking to himself in the mirror. At this point, he didn't much care for how idiotic he might look to an outsider. After all, he figured, he could easily kill any unwanted witnesses to his intoxicated state. "What are you going to do?" he asked his reflection. "You can't possibly feel anything for a mere human."  
'But you do.' His inner voice, provoked by the large amount of drink, taunted him openly.  
"Shut up." he snarled, tossing back another swallow.   
'You adore Rin, and you are beginning to find Kagome quite attractive.'  
"So she's good-looking," he shot back. "Some human women can be good looking. That means nothing."  
'But you don't want her just for her body, do you? You are falling in love with her.'  
"Am not!"  
The voice, undaunted by his anger, continued gleefully. 'This is perfect. The cold blooded Sesshomaru who terrorizes humans constantly finds himself falling in love with one. Two, if you count the affection toward the child. Just like his worthless half brother.'  
That last bit pushed his patience over the edge, and Sesshomaru found himself throwing a bottle at the mirror, which promptly shattered. However, right before it did, the little voice had one last say. 'Just because you know I'm right.'  
  
  
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Ending Notes: Heh. Sorry about the whole Sesshomaru-drunk thing. I know that he's way too dignified, but I couldn't resist! Besides, it was the only way I could think of to get his thoughts out into the open. I read this really really good IY fanfic and now I'm feeling all low on self esteem.. heh. Anyway, it's Christmas Eve, so I don't suppose you guys will read this for a couple more days, if you have more of a life than I. Happy Holidays!  
12/24/01  
Please review? I love reviews.. you cannot imagine how addicted I am to them. ^_^ I'm aiming for 10 per chapter... but maybe that's a little too optimistic. But I'm going to try "looking on the bright side" (heh) and see if I can reach at least 40 by this chapter..*hinthint* Maybe even more *dreamy* Hey.. if I write 10 chapters, and the review-optimistic-idea thing works, I'll get 100 reviews! *starry eyes*  
Tsha. Like that's going to happen. But a girl can dream, can't she?  
Enough babbling.. review! Even if you already did! I love all reviews! Please?!  
C 


	5. Tragedy

A/N: Here's the next chapter! School's out, so I have much more time to write. As always, thanks to everyone for reviewing! I'm hoping to get more than 10 per chapter now. ^_^ Greedy much? But they really do make me write so much faster..  
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Oniko~Thanks! And you are completely right about having more room for interpretation. Lucky for us. ^_^  
Voldersnort~ Hehe.. thanks! I'm very glad you enjoy this story.  
Naru~ Thank you! And don't worry, I write in this practically every day.  
bel-chan~ I'm glad you love it, but I'm sorry to report that this is a IY and K fic. ;_; Sorry. ^_^ Hope you'll keep reading anyway..  
Dragon's Dreamchild~Hehe... thanks for the encouragement!  
Incurable Romantic~ *grins* Thanks! And I like Ranma too, I was just watching a dubbed videotape of it. ^_^ The library waiting list is so incredibly long..  
Akiko~Thanks! About it being "cute".. *smiles* anything with Inuyasha and Sesshomaru has got to be cute. ^_^  
vernal equinox~ wow, you sound pretty hyper. Thanks for the encouragement.. ^_^;;;  
:)~heh... thanks..  
yonfi~ I'm not sure if this story will actually have 10 chapters, but thanks for the vote of confidence.   
Emmi-chan~ What's Sims Hot Date? And no problem about not reviewing, I'm grateful for any reviews at all. ^_^  
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Chapter 5  
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When the sun rose the next morning, it took along the spirits of Kagome, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Things always look better in the morning, and this was certainly true for the three of them. Sesshomaru decided to indulge himself and spend the morning observing Kagome and Rin. Perhaps he could rid himself of this temporary obsession with the human. Thus assured, he was in a much more pleasant state of mind than the night before.   
  
Inuyasha, after finally having given in to a fitful sleep, had a vivid dream in which he was a cub with his mother. It was really more of a memory, actually.   
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"Inuyasha, do you know the land around you?"  
"What do you mean, mama?" Baby Inuyasha looked up at his mother with brightly shining eyes.   
His mother paused. "Well, if you were ever to become lost, would you know your way back to the castle?"  
"I wouldn't get lost, mama." he assured her.  
She chuckled. "No? What about yesterday? When you went hunting?"  
A little pout. "I wasn't lost," he said lamely. "I just had some trouble coming back."  
"No." She was adamant. "You have to learn. Starting tomorrow, we'll be having map lessons."  
"Lessons?!"  
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Inuyasha sat up straight, almost tumbling off his branch. "Map lessons.." he murmured. It was hard to remember. He had been only four or five when he'd painfully memorized all the landmarks around their land. And so much had happened since then..  
"A lake!" This time, he did fall out of the tree, landing a foot away from Miroku, who was yawning and stretching.   
"Inuyasha? What about a lake?"  
Inuyasha scrambled up, "There's a lake somewhere around Sesshomaru's domain! He lives in my father's castle, and there was definitely a lake there."  
Sango sat up, her eyes sparkling. "Great! That's another clue to go on. Do you remember anything else, Inuyasha?"  
He glared sullenly. "No. It was a long time ago." He added defensively. Sango raised her hands. "Alright. Just asking."  
  
Kagome smiled at Rin, but her insides were a swirl of nervous emotion. She'd been having those visions/memories all morning. Some were frustrating snatches that faded before she could properly examine them, and others practically knocked her over with their intensity. Many of them involved Inuyasha, but there was a fair amount of her life back home, also. Every time one occured, she'd feel a terrible sense of loss and loneliness. Rin seemed to be able to pick up on the feelings Kagome was experiencing. She'd been quiet all morning, only breaking the silence to ask questions about the words she was painstakinly forming with her little hands. Kagome didn't want to give her such dull work as copying simple words over and over, but that was all she could handle at the moment.   
Sesshomaru looked on from a chair in the corner. He had been almost surprised when Kagome had told Rin that their lessons were to take place indoors that day. For the past week that the lessons had been going on, the two had spent every day outside, taking advantage of the beautiful weather. Weather like today. Sesshomaru frowned. There was something wrong with the human girl. He couldn't quite put a finger on it, but she looked unwell. One moment she would be smiling down at Rin and helping her trace a word, the next she would be sitting back in her chair, looking drained and unbearably sad. There was something going on.. and Sesshomaru was determined to find out. Nothing was going to happen in front of him with him knowing everything there was to know about it.  
  
Sango looked skeptically at the scene in front of her. Inuyasha had caught the old trail of Sesshomaru's group, and had been in an almost happy mood for about two hours. But then the trail had stopped abruptly, and now Miroku and him were arguing fiercely in front of her.   
"That way!"  
"No! This way!"  
That had been going on for half an hour already, and Sango was getting fed up. "You think this will help Kagome?" she yelled at them.   
The two stopped their argument suddenly, surprised that Sango, who had been quiet for the past day or so, had finally spoken. Once started, she couldn't seem to stop.   
"I mean, she's the best friend I have, alright? And you two idiots are wasting time having a pointless fight when she could be in grave danger right now! I thought you cared about her!"  
The two subjects in question were definitely beginning to look ashamed. "Sorry." they muttered in unison. Shippo hopped off a tree behind them. "I saw something! I saw something! I-"  
Inuyasha grabbed the little kitsune by the shoulders. "What?!"  
  
  
Sesshomaru walked up to Kagome and Rin. After a couple of hours of watching Rin become increasingly frustrated and Kagome drifting from one phase of mind to the next, he'd finally given up on observing. "Rin, go play outside." Rin looked up, startled. "But Sessho-sama, it's raining!" she exclaimed. He was irritated to find that she was right. In the past hour or so, the weather had gone from pleasant to slightly threatening. "Well, go to your room then." Seeing her crestfallen face, he added relunctantly. "There's a surprise there."  
She brightened immediately and scampered off with a backward wave. "Thank you, Sessho-sama!"  
Kagome raised an eyebrow, out of her dream world for the moment. "There's something in there for her, Sesshomaru-sama?"  
"There is now." he grumbled.  
Kagome smiled. "That's very sweet of you! Rin likes surprises and new things."  
"Hm.." he watched her with a calculating look. Kagome looked back nervously. "Something wrong?"  
"No.." he said absently. "I've just made up my mind about something."  
  
Inuyasha glared back impatiently. "We're almost there! Hurry up!"  
Shippo groaned. "We've been walking forever!" he complained. "Can't we rest for just a little while? The rain is so cold!"  
"Don't you want to find her?!"  
"He's right." Miroku said, defending Shippo. "We have to be rested for when we arrive. Suppose we have to fight our way to her?" Inuyasha treated the entire group to another glare, then retreated to a nearby tree, muttering something about weakling humans.  
  
"Kagome-san," Sesshomaru said. She looked up, surprised at the expression in his eyes. She couldn't quite make out what it was, and if she didn't know better, she would have thought it was happiness. But of course, Sesshomaru was a cold blooded demon. She doubted that he was prone to a 'weak' emotion like cheeriness. And when he told her the news, she was sure that it wasn't delight. "I'm sorry to say this," he said, not looking her in the eye. "But.. Inuyasha is dead."  
Kagome gasped, feeling the earth spin around her. "Dead?" she asked, dazed. "What- what happened?"  
Sesshomaru looked at her, and said gently. "Well, it seems he was on his way here when he was attacked by a water demon near a lake. The demon pulled him under water, and his body never showed up. I'm sorry."  
Kagome felt her eyes well up with tears. "This is weird," she rasped. "I mean, I don't even remember him..that well." Sesshomaru pulled her against him in a hug. "It'll be all right. It's an awful tragedy." he whispered. "I know you must miss him. But you know, I'm sure that Inuyasha would want you to be safe. So, if you'd like, I would be honored if you would live here, at least until you feel ready to go back to your home."  
Kagome buried her face in his shoulder. "Thank you," she said meekly. "You are so kind to me." He stroked her hair comfortingly. 'But..' Kagome looked up. "Sesshomaru-sama," she said tentatively. "What happened to the others?"   
If Kagome was in her usual state of mind, she might have noticed that Sesshomaru stiffened slightly. As it were, however..   
Sesshomaru pulled her a little closer. "Well," he began. "This is how it happened. Jaken realized that another demon was close to my grounds, so he went to investigate. When he reached Myst Lake, he noticed a disturbance in the middle. He could only recognize Inuyasha's figure before the monster took him. Jaken says that there wasn't anyone else in the campsite." Kagome frowned. It wasn't that she didn't trust Sesshomaru, but the story didn't sound very plausible. Sesshomaru noticed the doubt flash across her face and added, "Jaken says that by inspecting the site, he thinks that the rest of the group were off hunting for their next meal. However, he scouted the surrounding lands, and didn't find a trace of them. We think that either demons got hold of them also, or that they are lost." Kagome whimpered. She'd hoped that if she wouldn't have to chance to see Inuyasha, she'd at least meet her old companions again. "Don't worry," Sesshomaru reassured. "If they are still alive and we find out, I will send help to them immdiately."  
Kagome nodded. The news of Inuyasha's demise seemed to have taken a large toll on her, Sesshomaru was irritated to note. Perhaps she'd feel better after a rest. Sesshomaru put a steadying hand on her back and said soothingly, "You need to sleep. I know this must upset you greatly, and I'm sorry it happened. He was my brother.." Kagome turned. "Of course," she said softly. "I almost forgot. Sesshomaru-sama, forgive me. I've been.. selfish. You must be terribly upset also. After all, your brother.." Sesshomaru managed a tragic expression. "Don't worry about me, Kagome-san. Now, all that matters is you feel safe and welcome with me." Impulsively, Kagome reached forward and hugged Sesshomaru, her arms around his neck. "I'm very grateful that you found me." she murmured. She couldn't see Sesshomaru's malicious smile from her vantage point, which, actually, was the best for Kagome. She would have been very troubled from the wicked expression on his face. For Sesshomaru was planning on exactly how to make his fictional story about his halfling brother completely and utterly genuine.  
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Ending Notes:  
This chapter took a pretty long time.. I hope it makes sense and isn't too abrupt. And I might have sort of messed up on Sesshomaru's character this time. Hopefully, you guys won't think so. Anyway, as always, review, review, review! Please! Anyway, happy new year to everyone! (review!)  
12/29/01  
C 


	6. Linked

A/N: I just had to do some character development in this chapter. Sorry, couldn't help it. ^_^''' Also had to ponder Inuyasha with Kikyou vs. Inuyasha with Kagome for a while. I know it's been done to death and beyond, but I just had to clear that up. Perhaps it gives the chapter some clarity. Anyway, I'm at a absolutely frantic loss. I have _NO_ idea as to what the ending will be. .............heh. I don't plan when I write, I just... write. Eechh.  
Ah, this is where the PG-13 comes from. Slight cussing from Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Apologize in advance if this offends you.  
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Emmi-chan~ *grins* About the frequent updates, I try to write when the inspiration strikes, or else it'll drain out and I'm stuck grinding out a dry, torturous chapter that no one'll enjoy. Control peoples' lives? Hm.. are there any Inuyasha look alikes? ~_^  
  
SRSilverhawk~ I not quite sure that 'nice' will be the word to describe Sesshy while he's trying to do away with Inuyasha, but it paints a lovely picture. ^_^  
  
Jezunya~Hilarious review... Sesshomaru is currently whining to me about how hard newspapers are nowadays and Inuyasha is saying that only Kagome is allowed to call him Inu-chan.. like anyone listens to him. ^_^ Isn't it sweet though? I love your reviews.. don't stop 'em!  
  
Naru~I guess this chapter is sort of a turning point. It becomes less of a SesshomaruxKagome one and leans more towards InuyashaxKagome. Hope you'll enjoy this anyway! ^_^  
  
vernal equinox~Have I ever mentioned what a cool username you have? Anyway, some guys are better (and cuter) off evil, ne? Thanks!  
  
Voldersnort~ Thank you for your encouragement! I'm am totally enjoying my vacation, thanks to all you guys' reviews, and I'm glad you like this chapter. There will probably be a lot less SessxKagome once Inuyasha shows up, but there's still the big confrontation scene..   
  
Incurable Romantic~ Thanks very much for the constructive criticism, it really helped me decide on how to improve on the story. I hope this chapter is a little more to your liking, and I have to admit that I'm at a loss for Kagome's confusion. Perhaps I got a better idea of Inuyasha's worry? If this chapter is still .. wrong, please tell me how to improve? Thanks!  
P.S. What did you mean by it being low? ^_^;;;  
  
Ashlee~ Here comes Inuyasha to the rescue! ^_^   
  
nisse~ I hope I can come up with a suitable climax to the suspense. ... Don't want to disappoint people.. ;_;  
  
Goddes of Death~ *giggles* Heh.. didn't know I left it off at a cliff hanger. As for who Kagome will choose... dumdumdumdumdumdumdum dumdumdumdumDUMdumdumdumdumdum (Jeopardy theme song) *sniff* I want a boyfriend with doggie ears too.. *pauses* Actually, I'd settle for any hot looking anime guy! Have you noticed that the "good" guys are practically always the perfect specimen of the PERFECT boyfriend? *sigh*  
  
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Disclaimer: I forgot to put one in my last chapter.. oops. Anyway, Inuyasha and gang does not belong to me. ;_; However, Inuyasha is currently relieved that I've stopped chasing him in little circles in order to chase Legolas, who is an extremely bishounen elf-archer from Lord of the Rings. Also Josh Hartnett. They're both going to be in "Black Hawk Down" in January. *faints from happiness*  
  
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~~CHAPTER 6~~  
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Inuyasha squinted at the gray stone castle in the distance. It was misty and hard to see in the rain. He sighed, impatient. After much complaints and arguments, the group had elected to stay in their impromptu campsite for the rest of the night. Inuyasha switched his gaze to the moon. It would be full in just a week or so, and he knew, just _knew_, that they had to reach Kagome by then. He didn't even want to think of the consequences if they didn't..   
Inuyasha shifted in his tree. The attitudes of the rest of the group disturbed him greatly. Assured that they were near their destination, Miroku, Sango and Shippo were almost giddy with ecstasy. Inuyasha snorted. They were excited at the prospect of seeing Kagome again, as if they didn't have to fight Sesshomaru and his scores of minions once they got there. Inuyasha hated his brother; there was no reason to deny it. Always had, and no doubt always will. But not even his loathing could blind him to Sesshomaru's power. Sure, Inuyash could beat him, but he truly had to work at it. For other demons, especially minor ones who were drunk off the power of a shard of the Jewel, Inuyasha barely had to break into a sweat. The only close calls occured because of the ones he had to protect. Like Kagome. Especially Kagome.   
Inuyasha sighed again, but this one was quiet and full of despair. He missed her. Very much. And that feeling of utter loneliness was magnified because there was no one he could go to to discuss it. Inuyasha was not a talkative person at the best of times, and during the worst of times the most a person could hope to get out of him was brief eye contact. But even someone like him needed to let out his problems _somehow_. And unfortunately for Inuyasha, there was not one person alive who knew of his feelings for Kagome. Well, perhaps with the exception of Kaede-sama. No matter how much Inuyasha would like to dispute it, no matter how much he hated even the thought of it, Inuyasha had a nagging feeling that Kaede knew exactly what he felt for Kagome, and she also knew that it wasn't the same as what he felt for Kikyou, which, like many, including Kagome herself, thought it was. Kikyou.. Kikyou had been like a distant princess, utterly beautiful and unattainable. Kagome, on the other hand, was full of emotion and humor, things that made her so _alive_. Sometimes she was so full of light and happiness that Inuyasha had to get away from her for a while. Even when she was angry.. she was still full of vivacity. Not once did she ever completely shut him out of her life. What he wouldn't give to be with her now. Even for just one moment.   
  
  
Sesshomaru sat absolutely still on a balcony chair right outside his room. He had spent the better part of the evening planning the demise of Inuyasha and his pathetic little group of humans. And wasn't there another demon among them, also? It was definitely not a powerful one.. Sesshomaru frowned in thought. He would have to do some more research before he could think of an effective way to stage the group-death. He wouldn't want Kagome suspecting anything.   
  
"Kagome?" Kagome looked up from an ancient book she was studying and spotted Sesshomaru at the door. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"  
"I know this must be difficult for you, Kagome. But the truth is, I didn't know my brother and his companions very well. Perhaps you could help me? I was gathering information to make a statue of sorts, somewhat like a tribute to them. I was hoping you could give me some comments on them."  
Kagome felt tears well up for the hundredth time that day, but she managed to blink them back. "So," she whispered. "So it's definite that the others are lost too?" Sesshomaru nodded grimly. "Kagome," he said gently. "I'm sorry to say this, but there is no way they could have survived for so long in this land. It's riddled with demons ranging from the weakest to the most deadly. We still haven't heard from them, so that must mean that they have also come to a unfortunate death. I'm very sorry."  
Kagome buried her face in her hands. There was nothing she could do for her friends now but make sure they would be properly honored in this world. "I'll tell you everything I remember about them." she promised. Sesshomaru smiled down at her. "That would help me immensely." he said smoothly.  
  
Inuyasha blinked at the rising sun. Somehow he'd managed to get some sleep last night, but he could barely wait for the others to get ready to leave. They were late as it was. Suddenly, in the distance, a large blanket of black covered a generous portion of the sky.   
"What the hell?!"  
Shippo scrambled up to Miroku's shoulder. "What's that?"   
Inuyasha cursed and Sango turned toward him. "Inuyasha? What is it?"  
The dog demon was much too busy describing, vividly, the awful things that he would like to put Sesshomaru through to answer the question. Shippo's eyes grew wider and wider at each vulgar word until Miroku smacked Inuyasha on the shoulder. "Stop cussing and tell us! NOW."  
"Okay, okay." Inuyasha grumbled. "Well, houshi, you'd better say your prayers or whatever now. 'Cause this is one fight we might not make it through."  
  
Sesshomaru favored Ginta with a sweet smile. Ginta was a low ranking demon, much too scared of Sesshomaru's wrath to do anything but obey questionlessly. She was also infatuated with the powerful demon, and that made her so much easier to control. "So, give me all the details, Ginta. Do not leave one thing out."  
Ginta gulped. As much as she was obsessed with getting Sesshomaru's every approval, as much as she thought he was the vision of perfection, she had experienced, first hand, what Sesshomaru was capable of when he was disgusted. And he rarely showed any emotion _but_ disgust to his many servants. And so Ginta had to tread carefully. She had managed to avoid mishap so far by staying quiet and meek. The flawless picture of obedience. "Well," she began. "I let out the vulture demons like you asked me too. And Synt gave the birds the coordinates for the target. They are a mile or so from this castle, my Lord. The vultures should be done with them by noon time. There will be no evidence left, as I've instructed the demons to devour every piece of flesh they could find."  
Sesshomaru smiled absently. "Very well." He caught sight of Ginta bowing at the base of his chair. "You may leave." he dismissed. "And I'd advise you to make very sure that the vultures did their job. If I find even a hint of something wrong, you will be very sorry." He flashed her that beautiful smile again, and Ginta left, trembling helplessly and cursing her heartless master.  
  
Shippo was on the verge of tears as the large flock of darkness neared them. "Inuyasha!" he wailed. "What do we do? Why are you standing there?" Inuyasha unsheathed his trusty sword. "Shippo," he said wearily. "These are f**king vulture-demons, personally trained by Sesshomaru. As long as they've spotted their target, there is no way to escape. The only way to avoid being killed is to kill them. So you can hide if you want to, but hurry up before they realize you're gone." Shippo looked at Inuyasha, who had always treated him rather like a bothersome little brother, who had bullied him to no end, and he realized just how brave the dog demon was. He was facing a flock of at least 20 vulture-demons, each who were at least the size of him. And he was just _standing_ there, in battle stance, waiting for them to get close enough so that he could strike. Then Shippo looked over his shoulder and Miroku and Sango, who were unwittingy clutching each others' hands. They were just as brave as Inuyasha. A couple of humans were barely an obstacle for demons like the approaching vultures, yet they were willing to fight to get to their friend. Shippo gulped. "I'm not going anywhere," he declared. "I'm fighting too!"  
  
Kagome sat in a field of flowers, deep in thought. Rin had caught a cold and was spending the day recuperating in her room, amused by Sesshomaru's numerous surprises. There was not a cloud in the sky, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. Nevertheless, Kagome felt soft tears dripping down her face. Hugging her knees, she made no move to wipe them from her face. To put it bluntly, Kagome was truly and completely confused. Her head was swimming with the information her visions had given her, and she barely had time to process them all. But there was a deep, deep ache inside of her that she couldn't make go away. She rocked back and forth, willing the tears to stop, the pain to go away, and for a flash of a moment she wished, with all her heart, that she could be with Inuyasha, where ever he was. And even after a minute or so, when she'd had time to think it all through, she still wished she was with him. Kagome closed her eyes, and saw the familiar set of golden eyes in her mind. And as always when she saw them, the eyes were filled with a immense, heart-rending sadness. And at that moment, Kagome would give anything to be with Inuyasha. Even for just one moment.   
  
Three things happened just as the flock was about to descend and, ultimately, attack.  
First, Miroku grabbed Sango around the waist and kissed her. Hard. Sango looked back breathlessly, and Miroku said quickly and quietly, "I'm not being a hentai again. I just wanted to do this before.. it's too late." Sango thought about slapping him, but the thought was quickly replaced by an urge to kiss him. She cupped his face in her hands and whispered, "Please, be careful. If you don't die, I might let you kiss me again. After it's all over." Miroku flashed her a smile and squeezed her wrists. "Promise?"  
Second, Shippo felt, suddenly, an immense approval and satisfaction from somewhere distant. He was being brave, just like his father had been. And he would fight with his friends until they won, or he couldn't fight anymore. He would become a true kitsune and finally uphold his parents' honor.  
Third, Inuyasha bowed his head slightly and whispered. "Kagome, please keep yourself safe until we can get there. And I'll always love you, no matter what." And somehow, somehow, he felt that she heard him and that her heart was with him.   
And thus, all four minds were at peace as they were about the battle that would determine the course of their destinies.  
  
Kagome had a blinding headache. She was seeing flashes of _something_, but she couldn't quite make it out. There were large, grotesque birds swooping down, and so much pain and suffering. And blood.. so much of it. Like a sea of redness, surrounding and drowning her, smothering her. But it wasn't enough to drown out the shrieks, the cries and the horrible, screeching laughter. The blasts of vivid battle pictures hit her over and over, until she could only stagger toward the castle. 'Sesshomaru-sama will help me, Sesshomaru-sama will help me.' she chanted over and over in her mind, until her wavering legs brought her to the main hall. Using the last of her strength to propel herself onto the plush carpet, Kagome collapsed on the floor, panting and crying. And that was when she started screaming.  
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Ending Notes: REVIEW! PLEASE! I broke 50 reviews! *starry eyes* Wow... I'm very very grateful to you guys for you reviewing and reading ... I'm so happy. ^_^ Please please please continue to review, it makes me write faster. How many times have I said that? Well, doesn't matter. Go ahead and REVIEW!! By the way, I couldn't help but stick that bit of SangoxMiroku in there. Hope it's not too abrupt. ^_^   
December 3oth, 2001   
C 


	7. Blood-red

A/N: I want to thank everyone for their reviews.. I got over 70! ^_^ Happy, happy. I love reviews. Many thank you's to everyone.   
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yuyu~ I prefer IxK too.. they are just way too cute together. And thanks for reviewing!  
  
Yumi-chan~ Thank you, thank you! Here's the next chapter and, *evil cackle* sorry about the cliffhanger. I couldn't resist.  
  
sammy-chan~ I'm pretty sure this fic will end up having Inuyasha with Kagome..;_;. But just think about all his hard work, heh. I might do a SesshomaruxKagome one, but first I gotta come up with an idea. ^_^''  
  
Mercuria~ Uh.. sorry, but it's an Inuyasha and Kagome fic. Hehe. Thanks for reviewing though, and I hope you'll keep reading! +_+  
  
SacredWings~ Hi! *waves* Thanks for reviewing my fic, and good luck on yours! I updated Hiding..^_^_^  
  
japriter17~ Thanks! ^_^_^ Keep reading! And reviewing!  
  
Crystal-Star-SS~ Hi! To both sides of your interesting personality, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!  
  
Emmi-chan~ You're a pretty gifted writer, to make something I wrote sound that good in a review. ^_^ Thanks, though! I loved your review... specifics are everything. ^_^  
  
Voldersnort~ Wow, I'm glad that you're still reading and reviewing my fic. ^_^ Thanks!  
  
MoonKnight Maiden~ Here's the next segment, thank you!! By the way, does ^_^V mean, like a 'V' sign with your hands? 'cause it looks like that, and if it were, it would be adorable!! *giggles*  
  
  
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Disclaimer: Inuyasha doesn't belong to me. However, I'd gladly trade my little sister for him. Not that Kagome-san is stupid enough to take me up on my offer..  
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Chapter 7  
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Sesshomaru burst out of his study at the first sound of Kagome's anguished screams. "Kagome? Kagome!" he knelt by her, cradling her head in his lap. Spotting a servant rushing away, who was hoping to be kept out of this latest mess, Sesshomaru barked out, "Get a medicine woman from the nearest village!" The servant, a minor air demon, stammered, "B-but Lord Sesshomaru, the nearest village is- is three days away!" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes and hissed. "Well, I suggest you fly very, very fast then. And if the woman is not in here in time to save Kagome-san, you will suffer very painfully, I'll make sure of that." He glared. "Do not attempt to escape. If I even get the tiniest suspicion, you will be attacked by my vulture demons. Understand?" The servant gulped and nodded frantically. Anything to get away from the master while he was distressed.   
  
  
Inuyasha held his injured arm against one side, and glanced quickly around to get an idea of the others' situations. Shippo had given up on fighting now, and was just trying to lead some of the vultures away from his friends, distracting them to the best of his ability. There was blood soaking into the forest floor, surrounding them. Only three of the eighteen vultures were dead. Inuyasha sighed and dove in again. The things he did for this girl..  
  
  
Kagome opened her eyes to see a concerned Sesshomaru looking down urgently. "Kagome, is everything all right? What's wrong?"  
She gasped for breath and grabbed onto Sesshomaru's immaculate shirt. "Sesshomaru-sama," she whispered desperately. "Please, help me! Please.." her voice trailed off, and she slumped back into his lap. "Kagome, I can't help you if you don't tell me!" Sesshomaru barely raised his voice, but the stress in it was apparent. "Please.." he murmured. "Tell me what's wrong with you."  
She tried to sit up again, leaning against Sesshomaru. "There-there are big, big birds attacking. Sesshomaru, please, stop them!"  
"Attacking who?!"  
"I don't know.." she squeezed her eyes shut and a tear slipped out. "Someone special." she whispered. "Someone good. Stop them.. before it's too late."  
Sesshomaru stared down at the human girl. There was no way in hell that she could know about the vultures. Those demons were Sesshomaru's best kept secrets, of which he had many. And from the way she was going on, it seemed almost that she could see the battle scene. But yet she didn't know who the vultures were attacking..   
There was a thin line of blood at Kagome's mouth where she had bit her tongue, or perhaps her lip. Sesshomaru bent his head and absently licked it off. The vultures were the surest way to get rid of Inuyasha, yet he would be forced to command them to stop if it was affecting Kagome. That brought his musing to another question. How could Kagome know what was going on? Sesshomaru doubted that she and the halfling were connected telepathically. If they could, she would have reacted to it by now. This was very queer indeed...  
  
Sesshomaru strode through the echoingly empty halls of his castle. Kagome had finally fallen into a restless sleep with some help from Sesshomaru's private collection of sedatives. Even though he was glad that the human girl was safe for the time being, Sesshomaru wore the most irritated expression on his face. Servants who usually just ducked behind a corner when he walked by would now dive into fountains just to avoid Sesshomaru's formidable glare. But Sesshomaru had no time to deal with cowardly underlings today. He walked purposely into his study room, and sat down slowly, pondering. If he called off the demons now, there was a chance that at least one of the group would still survive. But if he didn't, Kagome would become more and more distressed, perhaps until she went mad. Sesshomaru growled. Somebody was going to pay for this. He hated when his plans went awry.  
  
Inuyasha was in the middle of slicing a bird in half when a cold breeze passed through the clearing. Time froze, and Inuyasha along with it. Then, without warning, the remaining unmaimed birds disappeared. Inuyasha stood there in disbelief, panting heavily. "What the f**king hell was that?" he demanded, head raised toward the sky. The fluffy clouds gave no answer, so Inuyasha relented and looked around, carefully taking stock of the casualties. Miroku was slumped against a tree, cradling Sango's head in his lap. Both their eyes were closed, but it was from exhaustion, not injury. Their clothes were covered in blood, the red of theirs and the near-black of the demons. Inuyasha himself had bled very little. Although he had been hurt far worse than anyone else, he had willed his body to heal him as soon as possible. He closed his eyes and leaned against his sword. Then his eyes shot open again. "Shippo!"  
The little kitsune crawled out from the underbrush. "Inuyasha!" he wailed, hurtling himself straight at the demon. "You're alive!"  
"You expected anything less?" Inuyasha asked, peeling Shippo off him. "We have to go find Kagome now."  
"Uh.. wrong." Miroku spoke up, opening one eye. "We have to make sure that Sango and I aren't dead. Some of us don't heal like demons, Inuyasha."  
Inuyasha sighed. "Right, right. So, you two alive? Good, let's go."  
Miroku glared. "Inuyasha, if it were just me, I'd say, fine, we'll go find Kagome now. But Sango's hurt too! At least let me bandage her wounds."  
Sango pushed herself up weakly. "As if I'd let you check me over," she scolded. "I didn't forget your wandering hands, Miroku."  
He grinned and gave her a light kiss. "You all right?" Sango sat up, breathing heavily from the excertion. "Can't get rid of me that easily. Which direction do we go in?"  
  
Kagome opened her eyes to faint sunlight drifting through the window. The visions were gone from her mind, leaving her mind feeling foggy. She shot upright when the memories hit her with full force. She hopped out of bed and ran out the door. She needed some answers, and she knew just where to find it.  
  
Inuyasha bent down and dipped a hand into the running water. "We can wash up here." he announced. "And after that, we go find Kagome. NO more delays, understand?" Everyone busily ignored him and began cleaning themselves off. Inuyasha growled. Shippo splashed in the water, wailing. "So much blood on me!" he exclaimed. "Look! And yuck! What is this?!" Shippo picked a liver-like, bloody thing off his ear. He tossed it into the depths of the river and promptly began wailing again. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and ambled over to Miroku and Sango. "Ouch! Watch it!" Sango slapped Miroku's hand away from her shoulder. "I think I can handle it, Miroku-kun." He leaned back and gave her a worried look. "You sure?" Sango scooted closer to the water. "Don't worry about me." she reassured. "Just get in the water. You probably have some demon guts on you too." Miroku sighed and headed for the river, favoring his left arm. "You hurt?" Inuyasha asked abruptly.   
"Just a scratch." Miroku replied weakly. Sango narrowed her eyes and, in one swift move, pulled Miroku's shirt open.   
"If you were so eager to get my clothes off, I would be happy to-" he began. Sango dealt him a swift slap on his uninjured arm. "Miroku! Your arm is almost falling off!"   
He winced. "I didn't need that mental picture, you know. Besides, it's a clean cut. No bone, or.." Inuyasha shut out the rest of their conversation and dove into the water. Seeing Sango and Miroku's newfound love, (if you could call it that), made Kagome's absense all the more outstanding. Inuyasha broke the surface of the sparkling water, shaking glittering droplets out of her silky white hair. Shippo hopped onto Inuyasha's head, holding it in a death grip. "I miss Kagome." the kitsune said wistfully. Inuyasha growled and ducked under water, staying there until Shippo let go of his hair and rose out of the river, gasping. "You were trying to drown me!" he accused, once Inuyasha emerged, a couple feet away. "Just trying to get you off my head," he said irritably. Shippo wasn't listening anymore. Instead, he was watching the water, a morbid expression on his face. "Inuyasha! The water's turning red!" Inuyasha looked around. "So?" he wanted to know. "It's just the blood we washed off."  
Shippo paddled quickly for the ground. "I think I'm going to be sick." Inuyasha, too, swam for the shore before the redness of the tainted water could reach him. After all, it would be a shame messing up his newly cleaned garments. Not that he was preparing to meet Kagome or anything..   
  
Sesshomaru was still figuring out whether or not anyone had survived the vulture attack when Kagome appeared, breathless, at his door. "Sesshomaru-sama," she said. "I'm sorry to interrupt what you're doing, but I need to ask you a few questions, if that's okay with you."   
Sesshomaru put on a cordial, if strained, smile. "Of course, Kagome-san. I trust you're feeling better?"  
Kagome smiled wanly. "Must better, Sesshomaru-sama. Once again I must thank you for your care."   
"Your well being is thanks enough." he replied politely. The heavy silence dragged on, until Kagome gathered her courage and spoke up. "What were those visions?"  
Sesshomaru gave her an unreadable look. "My dear Kagome-san," he said smoothly. "What makes you think that I know?"  
"You were connected to them." she said steadily. "I felt your aura stamped all over it. Please, Sesshomaru-sama, I need to know. You must tell me!"  
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Ending Notes: Chapter 7. Not a cliffhanger this time, is it? I was sort of reading my first chapter, and I realized that my chapters are still as short as ever. -_-'''''  
Oh well. Oh yes, everyone, I think you should watch "Black Hawk Down", especially if you think that Josh Hartnett is as cute as I do. Hehe. Okay. Byebye, and review!  
Review!  
Thank you...  
1/4/02 


	8. Reunion

A/N: Well, this chapter is very, very delayed, but.. school! ;_; It completely drains my creative juices. No time to write, too much homework. Also TV shows. Just kidding. Sort of. Yeah, anyway, the short and overdue chapter is also due to the fact that I'm not quite sure what to be writing next. So.. I'm just going to wing it, whatever that means.  
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Disclaimer: Heya! I don't own Inuyasha, or Miroku, or Sesshomaru, or Sango, or Kagome, or Shippo, or Rin, or Jaken, or any of the villagers. Hm.. Did I cover everyone? Hehe..okay, on to the story.  
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Thanks to everyone for reviewing! I probably wouldn't have continued this story if I didn't think anyone was reading it.   
Sakura~I hope I answered all your questions in the last email.. if you have any more questions, email me or review! Or review anyway..  
  
ChaosCat~ Thanks for the review! I agree that Fluffy is adorable, but he's a different sort of adorable.. Inuyasha is just irresistable!  
  
Kumi Boa~ ^_^ Here's the next chapter!  
  
bel-chan~ Thanks for the comments.. I couldn't really think of a suitable thing for the servants to do around him.. and anyway, he does seem pretty scary!  
  
Lian Leviathan~ Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Embyr~ Thanks! Please keep reading, and reviewing, and reviewing, and..  
  
Mercuria~ ^_^ I'm so flattered that you like my story so much you don't care about the pairing. Thanks!  
  
MoonKnight Maiden~ Haha.. I hurried this chapter for Inuyasha's sake. We can't lose those adorable ears, can we? Okay, so this chapter was slow.. sorry Inuyasha!  
  
Emmi-chan~ Sorry about the length of the chapters, it's just that I want to get them out soon so people don't forget and lose interest. ^_^ Sango and Miroku make an beautiful couple, ne?  
  
Rhapsody~ I read your story.. loved it! I hope you keep reading mine!  
  
LilFoxgirl~ Hey, thanks for reviewing! Cuz I sorta stopped writing for a while, and then I saw your review today, so I just had to finish the chapter. Thanks!  
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Inuyasha ignored the glare of the sun rising sun and looked off into the distance. He was almost positive that they would reach Kagome today. Beneath the tree where Inuyasha sat, Miroku was laying out the plan of attack to Shippo and Sango. He and Inuyasha had discussed it last night, while the other two were innocently asleep. Neither of the two were able to sleep; Miroku from being estastic over his new found relationship with Sango, and Inuyasha because he was worrying over Kagome. To be brutally honest, Inuyasha hadn't been able to sleep for about two days now, and only his growing desperation to reach Kagome kept his energy level normal. But if was going to fight Sesshomaru, his energy had to be way past normal, well into the "able to take down Sesshomaru's whole castle with one slice" level. And that required sleep. Inuyasha almost found himself nodding off on the tree, while listening to Miroku drone on about everyone's respective roles in the plan. He quickly woke himself up by scratching a rather deep cut into his face. Inuyasha grimaced. The scratch should heal without a scar, but it would take another couple of hours or so. At least the stinging pain would keep him awake for the rest of the day.  
  
Sesshomaru quickly racked his brain for a plausible answer to Kagome's frantic question. His face, however, kept up a masquerade perfectly, not showing a single flicker of a thought of emotion. "They are imposters." he said.  
  
Shippo peered up at Inuyasha from Miroku's shoulder. "I didn't know you got a cut!" he pointed out. Sango, too, glanced back. "Oh, Inuyasha! I didn't see that yesterday either. Are you all right?"  
  
"Imposters?!" Kagome exclaimed. "Of who?"   
Sesshomaru had prepared for this follow up question in the five seconds he'd had available. "Of Inuyasha and your friends, of course."  
  
Inuyasha swatted Sango's hands away from his face. "Stop that!" he snapped irritably. "I'm fine."  
"Your cut will get infected!" Sango scolded.   
"I'm half demon, remember?!"  
"So?"  
  
"But why would anyone want to disguise themselves as my friends?" Kagome asked, bewildered. Sesshomaru hid a smile. He had things under control now.  
  
Miroku, who had been ignoring the fuss over Inuyasha, spotted a large gray shape in the distance. It was surrounded by mist, but the fog was slowly being burned off by the blazing sun. "The castle!"  
  
"And that," Sesshomaru said primly. "is the whole story, as I know it."  
Kagome sat on a chair opposite him, her thoughtful face propped up by her hands. "So, these strangers are after the Shikon shards.." she murmured. It felt like she had to repeat what Sesshomaru had told her, just to understand everything. Unconsciously, a hand reached up to clutch the large piece of the Shikon no Tama around her neck. Suddenly, a wave of rage washed over her. "They did that.. just to get the shards?!" She stood up, almost toppling the chair over. "How dare they.. well, just wait 'til they come. They won't know what hit them!" Sesshomaru watched her rush out of the room with a throughly satisfied expression.  
  
"This is suspicious." Inuyasha remarked from his hidden perch in the leaves.  
"What is?" Miroku was next to him, keeping a firm grip on Sango's hand, should she relapse and fall.   
"There aren't any guards walking around."  
"So?" Shippo piped up. "That's good for us, isn't it?"  
Miroku understood. "No. Sesshomaru is not that careless. This means that either he has some secret and he knows we can't get in past the front door, or that he has a hidden trap, which will kill all of us easily. Of course, the third option is that he actually wants us to get in, but that's related to the hidden trap theory."  
Sango nodded thoughtfully. "That's good, Miroku-kun. We have to be very careful getting in."  
"It's the third option." Inuyasha interrupted. The others stared up at him. "How do you know?"  
"It's easy." he scowled. "Just think. He hasn't killed Kagome yet, as far as we know." He had keep his voice from breaking when he said the last part. "That means he's using her as bait to lure us in. He doesn't want the shards, because Kagome has them. So he's probably after my Tetsusaiga." Inuyasha tightened his grip on the precious sword.  
"So, what?" Miroku wondered out loud. "Do we just stroll in?"  
"I'm going first." Inuyasha announced. "If it's safe, you all follow me."  
Shippo shook his head fervently. "No!" he declared. "It's dangerous for you to go alone, Inuyasha. After all, if we came so far already, why can't we all go together? We're so close to Kagome!"  
"He is wise beyond his years." Miroku intoned.   
"Idiots!" Inuyasha griped. "Don't you realize that if there _is_ a trap, then we'd _all_ get killed? This isn't a game! And Shippo, I know you want to be honorable or some other crap like that, but you've proved your point already, okay? Just let me handle it."  
  
Sesshomaru stood on his balcony, hands resting on the stone wall surrounding the platform. He smiled coldly when Inuyasha and his group came into view. The fools. They were all venturing forth all at the same time. It would be a moronic plan if there had been an ambush ready, but as it was, Sesshomaru knew that they would get inside the castle safely. He turned his back to the blue sky and entered his dark room. It was time to talk to Kagome.  
  
Kagome stared out at the fluffly clouds drifting past her window. She realized, quite suddenly, that she hadn't spent time with Rin for a while now. But she really didn't want to dampen the child's spirits with her own confusion and depression. There was a gentle rap on her door.   
"Who is it?" she called out. She didn't feel like having Jaken fuss over her, especially since he was just obeying Sesshomaru's orders, and not really caring about her welfare. But the cultured voice that replied was not that of the little toad, but rather Sesshomaru. Kagome had to admit that she still wasn't sure about her feelings for him. While he had always acted as nothing more than a generous friend or caretaker, she felt a stirring feeling within herself whenever she saw him. However, this feeling was sometimes canceled out by the sense of foreboding that also accompanied him. It was almost as if she had a bad memory of him.. but couldn't quite figure it out.  
  
"Idiots!" Inuyasha complained as they made their way warily to the castle, keeping a hand on their weapons and an eye out for danger. "You said that already." Miroku pointed out.   
"Can't you get over it?" Shippo added.   
Inuyasha gave them all a death glare, but keep silent.   
"We're here." Sango announced. They had made it to the front courtyard without incident. Now, to find Kagome..and avoid Sesshomaru.  
  
"They're here?!" Kagome put the delicate china cup down rather forcefully, eyes sparkling with life and anger. "Why, those... what are we going to do, Sesshomaru-sama?!"  
"Don't worry," he soothed. "I have a plan. Now, this is completely up to you, whether or not you want to carry it out."  
"Of course." Kagome said firmly. "I'm sure this is what my friends would have wanted."  
"Ah.." he commented. "You are, ... remembering your friends now?"  
She nodded. "And, Sesshomaru-sama, I know this is going to sound strange, but I'm getting a sort of memory of you, too. Are you sure we haven't met before my amnesia?"  
Sesshomaru blanked behind his polite masks. 'Shit.. the human is starting to remember me!'   
"Of course I'm sure." he said smoothly. "Would I lie to you?"  
Kagome colored. "Oh, of course not! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything!"  
"I'm sure you didn't." Sesshomaru comforted. "Now, here's the plan..."  
  
Inuyasha had his sword in one hand as he peered around a gray stone corner. "Clear." he announced, keeping a careful eye on the windows above them. It would be just like Sesshomaru to pour down some scalding oil or something.  
  
Actually, Sesshomaru had a much more complex plan than Inuyasha was imagining. He figured that the best way to beat his pesky half brother in combat would be to wound him emotionally, first. And what better way to do that than to have Kagome confess her love for Sesshomaru in front of the entire, unsuspecting group? Oh yes, Sesshomaru knew about Kagome's budding feelings for him. He could see it in her aura, how it changed to a gentle pink when he neared, and the way she became more alert and wide-eyed. And, being him, Sesshomaru had planned a way to use this infatuation to his advantage. After all, what plan could be better? He'd get rid of one of his worst enemies in the most crippling way, and have a human female to play with. At least, until she wore out, like all the others. Then, he figured, she could be demoted to playing Rin's nurse. It all worked out. For him, of course.  
  
"He knows we're here." Inuyasha murmured.   
"Are you sure?" Sango whispered, peering over his shoulder. "There's no sign of life around here. Looks very deserted, in fact."  
"Don't under estimate him." Inuyasha grumbled. "He may me a bastard, but he's a smart bastard."  
  
Kagome rushed out toward the front courtyard, Sesshomaru strolling behind her. She flew out of the hallway and into the garden.  
  
Inuyasha froze as a figure hurtled out of the castle, stopping across the garden from him.  
"It's Kagome." Shippo breathed, hardly daring to believe it. But before he could celebrate, Kagome spotted them. Her eyes narrowed. They swept over the group until her piercing gaze landed on Inuyasha. Their eyes met.  
  
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Hmm.. this chapter was short. But I just wanted to tell you guys that I didn't give up on the story or anything. ^_^ Thanks to everyone for reviewing, and please continue to do so! See, when I don't get reviews, I get discouraged and don't think about it as much. But if I keep getting reviews... ^_^_^_^ I would be so happy! Anyway, I check my account almost everyday, so I'll remember to continue if you remember to review! Ah, I probably will anyways..  
Thanks!  
1/11/02  
C 


	9. Shattered

A/N: First of all, I can't tell you guys how happy I am. You guys are all so cool! I can't believe that I broke 100 reviews. I totally did not expect this when I first started. And this is just my first fanfic.. I hope I don't get too disappointed at the others! I wrote an outline for a Sesshomaru and Kagome fic, and I'm thinking about starting it. However, one of my friends, Amy, says that I make Sesshy out of character. So I don't know.. it's no use writing a fanfic if it's going to be a crappy one, you know? I'm sort of sad that this fic is ending.. you know, it is my first ever fanfic, my precious baby. Yeah, I'm crazy. I was thinking of a sequel, but who knows? It might ruin the essence of the original. ^_^  
Oh, and about the previous chapter.. haha. To you guys who mentioned how evil my cliffhangers are, haha..I mean, I'm sorry! ^_^ Couldn't resist.. I could practically imagine peoples' reaction.. sorry! Haha...  
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I'M SORRY IF YOU THINK THAT THIS CHAPTER IS SO SHORT, BUT I COULDN'T RESIST POSTING IT UP BECAUSE I FEEL WEIRD IF I DON'T POST ANYTHING FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.. AND I WANTED TO ASK YOU GUYS' OPINION ON SESSHY'S CHARACTER, 'CAUSE ONE OF MY FRIENDS SAY THAT HE'S OUT OF CHARACTER. SO I WANTED TO HEAR WHAT YOU GUYS THINK SO THAT I DON'T FINISH BADLY. ALSO, IF THIS CHAPTER ISN'T GOOD, I'LL PROBABLY REVISE IT. DO YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE SADDER? IT'S PROBABLY NOT EMOTIONAL ENOUGH.. ;__; SO ANYWAY, I APOLOGIZE AGAIN FOR THE NON-LENGTH OF THIS CHAPTER.   
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Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. However, I do own photocopies! *brightens* He is so adorable.. *prattles on*  
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Jezunya~ Thanks! I love your reviews.. I'm glad you did one for each chapter.. thank you thank you!!  
  
Outlaw~ Thank you for reviewing! .. very cool username, by the way.  
  
bel-chan~ Don't worry, Sesshy's castle isn't destroyed.. not in this chapter, anyway. HAHA. Just kidding.. heh.. sorry.  
  
Chaoscat~ Um.. when you say that you hate endings like that and they leave you biting your nails.. I'm going to assume that's a compliment. ^_^ Just kidding. But really, thanks for reviewing!! You like my writing style.. *getting big-headed* could you specify? Cause I have no idea what my writing style is.. heh.  
  
Emmi-chan~ Heh.. don't we all love Sesshy, "the big poodle"? That could be his nickname.  
  
mememe~ Orlando Bloom! Whoo hoo! I'm going to watch Black Hawk Down this weekend!!  
  
amy lin~ ^_^ Thanks for your review..very dramatic! ^+^ I guess if I have the ability to make you shed invisible tears, that was an acceptable chapter?  
  
Sailor Terra~ Hehe.. they're both good couples, but I'd go with IYxK any day! They totally belong together!!  
  
mimimi!~ I'm sorry to be so torturing.. but doesn't that help the suspense element of the story? ^_^ That's the excuse I'm going with anyway..  
  
steph~ Thanks for reviewing! Here's the next chapter.  
  
MoonKnight Maiden~ Oh, your review was adorable! Wonderful _and_ talented? That's too much. *blush* Haha.. but anyway, you make a wonderful announcer! ^_^  
  
Kumi Boa~ It's cool that you said you understand it takes time. So considerate. ^_^ Here's the next chapter, and yes, it will be IYxK. (they're SO cute together)  
  
SacredWings~ Boy, if you thought that chapter was short... haha. ^_^ Well, Grace, I mean SacredWings, thanks for being the most supportive friend!! ^_^_^_^  
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Inuyasha felt a shudder of electricity run through him. 'Kagome..' his throat seemed unreasonably dry.. he couldn't call out to her. Shippo, however, didn't have that problem. "Kagome!" he yelled joyfully, leaping at her. A flash of surprise crossed her face, then she lifted a hand and struck him aside. "K- Kagome.." Shippo stammered, his eyes immediately filling up with tears. Kagome took a step back. "I'm sorry." Then she seemed to realize what she was saying. "But you deserved it! How dare you imitate my dead friends just to get the Shikon no Tama!" For the first time, Inuyasha noticed Sesshomaru standing behind Kagome, silently supporting her. Rage washed over him and he found his voice. "Kagome, don't you remember me?"  
"No. Who are you?"  
Inuyasha felt his heart grow cold. The emotion he had felt when he thought Kikyou betrayed him was nothing to this icy back stabbing. A dull ache started inside him, pounding steadily away at his life, so close to shattering his existence. There was nothing to lose now, might as well say it. "I love.. loved you."  
The reply threw her off guard. Kagome had been expecting a quick fight wherein she could avenge her friends and perhaps satisfy her own grief. But this stranger seemed so.. so sincere.   
"But I love Sesshomaru. Who _are_ you?"  
This revelation brought on many reactions. Shippo stopped his bawling and stared; Sango and Miroku were stunned into speechlessness; Sesshomaru merely raised an eyebrow; and Inuyasha's world stopped. And, as abrupty as it had, the earth began to spin, around and around, until Inuyasha was forced to support himself by placing a hand on a nearby boulder. This display of weakness startled the group as much as Kagome's proclamation had. Inuyasha felt more helpless than he had in his entire life. It was one thing to think that the one you loved betrayed you, it was entirely another to find out that she had fallen in love with your worst enemy, and you wouldn't be able to protect her anymore. All he ever wanted was to keep Kagome safe. But now he couldn't protect her without risking her happiness with her-it pained him to think of it- newfound love. The fighting spirit seemed to drain out of them, and Sesshomaru saw his chance. He turned around halfway and murmured to a creature behind him, "Attack." Three vultures sprung out from behind Kagome. Inuyasha's golden eyes were blank from pain. His whole self felt numb, inside and out. Kagome's words kept running through his head. Miroku glanced quickly from Sango to Shippo to Inuyasha. Although the vultures were approaching steadily with gleeful grins on their dirty faces, Inuyasha was leaning against the rock, not even paying any attention to them. "Sesshomaru." Miroku called out, eyeing the vultures nervously. "Why the demons? Are you afraid to fight us for yourself?"  
Sesshomaru laughed drily. "Hardly, priest. The thing is, if I were to attack your pathetic little group, the ordeal would be over before I had a proper chance to enjoy it. No, it's much more amusing this way, watching you die slowly."  
"You wish." Miroku sneered and yanked the cloth off his hand. Sesshomaru grinned mockingly. "You underesitmate me, monk." He tossed out a small, round object. Miroku cursed, yanking the cloth shut again. "A hive! You bastard... play fairly, at least."  
"I find this very fair." Sesshomaru said simply. "Two humans and a kitsune against two minor demons. In fact, I'd say you have the advantage."  
"You forgot Inuyasha." Shippo said triumphly. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "He is in no shape to fight now, I'm sure."  
Shippo turned around to find that Sesshomaru was right. Inuyasha was standing by himself now, but his eyes were on Kagome, and filled with a deep sadness.  
Kagome winced. Those were the eyes in her dream.. but they seemed ten times more tragic than before. The vultures circled Inuyasha hungrily, waiting for any movement of his so that they could attack. Inuyasha dropped something shiny on the ground. "Kagome.. remember that day, when you asked me about destiny? I lied."  
She looked at him, confused, but it was too late to get an answer. The vultures jumped.  
  
"Inuyasha's.. not fighting?!" Shippo scrambled up onto Miroku's shoulder and looked at the swirl of dust and blood in front of him. "We have to help him!"   
"I know." Miroku snapped back. "But if we jump in now, we won't know if we'll land on one of the vultures or Inuyasha!" Sango squinted. "What's wrong with Kagome?" she asked desperately. "Inuyasha's not fighting back because he thinks that she doesn't.."  
"It's a spell." Shippo had a tone of urgency in his voice. "It has to be. Kagome can't possibly love Sesshomaru.. can she?!"  
"Well, now is no time to discuss it." Miroku said grimly, rolling up his sleeves. "We have to take a chance. Inuyasha's being killed as we speak!" Just as they advanced, the fighting stopped. The two vultures backed off to either side, and Inuyasha was left in the middle. He was already unconscious, a bloody mass of scratches and broken bones. Kagome's eyes widened at the scene and she pressed a fist against her mouth. No one deserved to be beaten like that...   
"Why did the vultures stop?" Sango wondered out loud.   
"Simple, wench." Sesshomaru stepped out of the shadows, half a smile on his face. "I want to finish him off myself."  
Inuyasha staggered up, favoring his left side heavily.  
"You think we'll just stand by and let you kill him?!" Miroku yelled.  
"You've underestimated us." Sango agreed. They rushed to Inuyasha's side.  
"My dear, pathetic human prey." Sesshomaru drawled out. "I never underestimate my opponents."  
"I think you've underestimated me." Kagome spoke up, her voice wavering just the slightest. "Sesshomaru-sama, please stop hurting these people. Look, they're practically defenseless! Just let them go.. please?"  
Sesshomaru studied Kagome with a curious half smile on her face. He approached her slowly, and Kagome's eyes widened slightly. Was he angry with her..? He touched her face gently. "Poor Kagome." he said quietly. "You are much too delicate to take this. Why don't you go inside, spend some time with Rin?" He kissed her.Kagome stood still, stunned for a moment. Then she pushed him away with all her might. "Don't you get it?! It'll still be the same if I'm not here! Just LET THEM GO!"   
Inuyasha had not heard any of the conversation. His mind was still centering around Sesshomaru and Kagome's embrace.  
"Inuyasha," Shippo whispered fiercely. "What's wrong with you?! Even with what happened with Kikyou you weren't so heart broken."  
"This isn't Kikyou!" Inuyasha retorted. "And someone can only take a fair number of disappointments. After that.. they stop caring."  
"At least he's conscious enough to snap at Shippo." Sango whispered to Miroku.  
"Why do you stop caring?" Shippo asked. "Maybe Kagome's under a spell!"  
"Impossible." Inuyasha's legs gave out suddenly, and Miroku and Sango each caught him by an arm. "Impossible." he repeated, struggling out of their grasp. "Sesshomaru thinks himself too dignified to play around with a human emotion like love. If Kagome fell in love with him, then she did it on her own. Besides, demons aren't allowed to use love spells.. we're too tainted for an emotion so pure." His tone was decidedly bitter.  
"You are not." Sango said gently. "I'm sure there's something wrong here. If Kagome would only explain.."  
"This is very touching and nauseating," Sesshomaru interrupted. "but I would like to get this done before the sun sets.. it looks like rain."  
Right on cue, the two vultures leapt out at Miroku and Sango. The momentum knocked both of them down, into a scuffling ball of yells and bones cracking.   
Shippo clung to Inuyasha, who could barely support himself, let alone help his friends. "What's going to happen?" Shippo wailed, tears welling up. "Inuyasha, you have to help them!"  
"Move aside." Sesshomaru said, impatience tinting his voice. Jaken held up his staff and knocked the little kitsune away from Inuyasha. Shippo lay, moaning and twitching, in the koi pond. Inuyasha straightened painfully, biting back a cry. Sesshomaru smiled. "For once, my brother, you are doing something correctly. Now, stand still and let me kill you."  
Kagome darted in front of Inuyasha. "Stop!"  
Sesshomaru sighed and flexed his fingers idly. The human girl was really beginning to become a bother. Her petty persistence was starting to overshadow her beauty. "Move." he commanded shortly. "This is none of your business."  
"How can you say that? It's _all_ my business!"  
"Kagome," Sesshomaru said slowly, in the same tone he sometimes used with Rin, "Get.. out.. of... my.. way.. _now_."  
"Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome said desperately. "Just let him go. Even if he is impersonating your dead brother, you shouldn't be so harsh!" A nasty little thought occured to her. "Unless.." She whirled around to face Inuyasha, who seemed on the blink of unconsciousness. She studied him closely, causing Inuyasha to squirm and scowl. "Quit it, wench." The shard words didn't really have an effect since they were said in a weak, wan voice. Another flood of memories came rushing back, adding to her growing collection. "In-Inuyasha?" she stuttered, just barely able to restrain herself from stepping back. He snarled half heartedly. "Who else? Did you go blind, girl? Of course it's me." Her eyes involuntarily filled with tears. "I-Inuyasha.."  
Sesshomaru sighed, bored. "Well," he said sarcastically. "The secret's out. Perhaps I'll just have to kill the both of you. Would that be a reasonable solution?" His eyes pierced into Kagome's. "It's too bad, you know." he remarked softly. "Rin really loved you. You could have stayed with us.. and you'd have gotten anything and everything you want. But it's too late, of course. I can see the horror in your eyes. Ah, well," he concluded. "it's all for the best, I suppose."  
  
  
  
Ending Notes: Not much of a cliffhanger this time, right? Well, _please_ review. I desperately need an opinion on this chapter. PLEASE?! I probably won't be able to continue until I get your guys' thoughts on this. FEEDBACK! THAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR! NOW!!  
Thank you guys, I love you all for the reviews, and for reading at all. THANK YOU!!  
^_^  
1/15/2002  
C 


	10. Broken

A/N: I want to thank everyone for reviewing, especially the ones who told me what seemed "off", so that I could (hopefully) clear things up in this chapter. I'm sorry that this chapter is late, school is a life draining task. Unfortunately, it also does a good job of draining creativity and inspiration. Anyway, I apologize once again for the long time it took to get this out. However, I think this chapter is slightly longer than my other ones. Then again, maybe not. Anyway, this is the last chapter, not counting the epilogue that I'm planning. Can't leave well enough alone, that's me!  
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Jezunya~ I know it was short, sorry, sorry. ^_^ Hopefully you'll find this chapter longer.   
  
Noa~ Life isn't fair! LoL! Just kidding. I'm sorry, just finished the chapter and I'm super hyper. I agree, they're adorable!!  
  
kristy~ Or else what?! o.O Does it involve pitchforks? Anyway, no need to worry (on my part)   
'cause here's the next chapter!!  
  
Rymsie~Wow... five words... Your review is SOOOOO good!  
  
amy lin~ You want to stalk me? Cool! Never had a stalker before! ^_^ Doncha just looooove cliffhangers?  
  
Kumi Boa~ *hands you a tissue to wipe drool from keyboard* Glad you liked that chapter! ^_^  
  
Kanna~ Hate to admit it, but I forgot that one little detail. I'll explain it in the epilogue though!  
  
Emmi-chan~ Hehe.. you shouldn't even worry at this point! It's InuxKagome all the way!  
  
Jetflash~ You only like AU fics? Well, I'm glad you like this story. ^_^ Thanks for reviewing!  
  
SacredWings~ Thanks for all the encouragement! (especially at school) You're the best!  
  
ChaosCat~ *wipes happy tear away* My dialogue flows smoothly.. wow!! Thanks! ^_^   
  
Windshale~ Yikes! I'm sorry that Sesshy is jagged, and I know exactly what you're talking about. But the truth is, I've only read two books with Sesshy in it, so I was tentative with his character. Hopefully I'll improve with time.   
  
ArmAndLeg~ Haha... well, Kagome pretty much fully remember IY now. ^_^ Fluff in the epilogue, by the way.  
  
Inuki~ Thanks for reviewing!! What's WAO mean? Heh.. *sheepish*  
  
miroku~ I hope Sess's reason for what he told Kagome gets cleared up for you.. As for the sequel, I might write one.. but I'm not sure about the lemon part. I mean, I don't have anything against lemons, of course, but I don't know if I can pull something so *mature* off.  
  
sandy~ Hehe... after that encouragement, how could I not continue?  
  
MoonKnight Maiden~ I am truly glad that you have no problems with Sesshy's character, and that you took time to tell me so. Thanks for reviewing! ^_^_^_^  
  
-~ Um... sorry, no SesshyxKagome. -_- Not in this one, anyhow. Thanks for reviewing though!  
  
bel-chan~ Well, Sesshy's nice in this one! At least, I think he is...  
  
Akiko~ Haha.. I'm sorry you had to suffer that cliffhanger. But you're right, it keeps people interested. Hopefully, that is. ^_^  
  
Anhy~ Thanks for your suggestions, and I don't think your review came out offensive at all. I like constructive critcism, it imporves my writing. I made the ending different.. but I guess it's not too interesting... ;_;  
  
Shiori~ Yeah, I'm sorry about the shortness of the chapter. Doncha love suspense? ^_^  
  
Nancy~ *starry eyes* Wow.. I love your review!! ^_^  
  
Goddess of Death~ Are you serious, it made you cry? 'cause that's way more than I could hope for, I always feel that my stories don't have enough emotion. ^_^  
  
Kate~ Thanks! Keep reading!  
  
Accessa~ I'll definitely finish it, don't worry! ^_^  
  
Embyr~ Hehe.. that cliffhanger wasn't so evil! Enjoy!  
  
Katra Winner~ So your friend "insisted" for you to read this? o.O I've always wanted to be a fanfic writer that people recommend their friends too! Is that what you mean? .... Oh yeah, thanks for the "ne-chan" tip. It totally helps. ^_^_^  
  
Anime Chick~ Here you go! Keep reading and reviewing!  
  
Hev-ver~ Thanks for reviewing, and keep doing so, please! Thanks!  
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"What?" Kagome staggered slightly. "Sesshomaru-sama.. what do you mean?"  
Sesshomaru sighed. "It was a brilliant plan. But since it's failed, I'll just have to resort to what I do best."  
Inuyasha sneered. "What, lose?"  
Sesshomaru graced him with a patronizing smile. "Try again, little brother."  
"Run away?"  
"Brave words to come from a cripple. But no, I'll just have to kill you two. Simple as that."  
Kagome was still having a hard time comprehending the transformation Sesshomaru had gone through. "I don't understand," she cried desperately. "Sesshomaru, why did you tell me Inuyasha was dead?"  
"Yeah," Inuyasha mocked. "I'd thought you'd have been smarter than that."  
Sesshomaru raised an elegant eyebrow. "Stalling, are you? Well, I might as well explain, seeing how there's no possible way for you to escape. Back when I first found you, I thought you were the perfect bait to lure my little brother straight to the tip of my claws. However, seeing how much Rin loved you changed my mind. I decided to keep you around. After all, you didn't remember Inuyasha, and wouldn't it be the perfect touch for him to see you in my arms right before he died? But then you began to ask for him, and I figured telling you he was dead would solve that loose end."  
Inuyasha snorted distainfully, trying to ignore the darkness pressing in on his vision. "Bad move, you fucking bastard. This loose end came back to haunt you."  
"Yes, well, I already had plans to get rid of you, thus the attack by the vultures."  
Kagome's eyes widened. "You set vultures on them? My visions.."  
"And that was why I had to call them back." Sesshomaru said, resigned. "A pity, that would have been the perfect way to dispose of Inuyasha. But now that my plan has gone off track, the next best thing will be to kill Kagome while Inuyasha watches. Don't you agree?" Kagome paled. "Don't hurt Inuyasha!" she had planned for the words to come out in a strong, defiant voice, but all she managed was a frightened squeak.   
"Forget that," Inuyasha snarled, pushing her behind him. "Don't hurt Kagome."  
Sesshomaru laughed. "Do you really think that will make me change my mind?" he scoffed. "Imagine how long I've been waiting for this. Do you really think I'd let it all go just to make you happy?"  
Before either one could move, Sesshomaru struck, barely seeming to exert himself as one claw sliced neatly through Inuyasha's side. Inuyasha staggered, already weak from his previous wounds. Kagome screamed. "Inuyasha!" she knelt next to him, hugging him against her.   
"Don't cry." he whispered, gripping her hand gently. "Don't cry, I'll protect you. I promise."  
"That's not why I'm crying, you idiot." she whispered back, dark hair curtaining his face. "Who's going to protect you?"  
"As long as you're not hurt."  
"You always say that!" Kagome's tears were streaming down her face now. "Inuyasha, please, please put yourself first for once! I mean, think of how I'd feel if you died!"   
"But you'll be alive." he insisted, caressing her face gently. "That's all that matters."  
"You idiot." she broke down. "If you die, I'll hate you."  
Suddenly, her eyes burned with deep, _real_ hatred. "How could you do this to me?!" she stood up, gently placed Inuyasha's head on the ground, and turned furiously to Sesshomaru. "How could you make me think you were on my side?! How could you make me almost fall in love with you?!" she spat out the last sentence. Inuyasha, struggling up, winced. Even if he knew the circumstances, the thought of Kagome actually in love with his brother made him dizzy with despair.  
"How could you?" Kagome was losing her tears, and becoming very, very full of rage. "You bastard."  
"I'm hurt." Sesshomaru said drily. "But I'm sure I'll get over it. Especially after I kill you and the cripple. It'll help the healing process."  
"Don't call me that!" Inuyasha launched himself at Sesshomaru, trailing dark blood as he went. "Cripple or not, I can beat you any day!"   
"Famous last words." Sesshomaru remarked, dodging Inuyasha's claws.   
"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Kagome ran in the midst of the fight. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome. "What do you think you're doing?" he hissed.   
"Stopping you from being killed! Stop fighting! You're much too hurt to beat him."  
"What?" Inuyasha retorted scathingly. "You'd rather have me stand there while he cuts me up, piece by piece?"  
"Lovely picture." Sesshomaru mused. "Yes, Inuyasha, why don't we try that?"  
Kagome looked wildly around for help. But, alas, her search was in vain. Miroku and Sango were both still fighting for their lives, with Shippo throwing in a feeble foxfire whenever he could. All three were tiring out, and the vultures could feel it. They attacked gleefully, sure the reward was near.   
"Sesshomaru." Kagome appealed. "Why do you hate us so much? Why are you trying to kill us? Can't you just let us go?!"  
"You wouldn't understand." he replied lazily. "Kagome, this worthless half brother of mine has been inviting death ever since he took the Tetsusaiga. It never should have been touched by his tainted, half human hands. Just imagine what I could have done with it! But instead, this halfling took it, to protect _humans_, of all things."  
"So what," Kagome tried desperately. "if we give it to you, you'll let us go?"  
Sesshomaru let out a short bark of laughter. "Kagome, your naivety is just charming. So, to humor you, no, of course I will not let you go. Inuyasha is a source of extreme shame and dishonor to our bloodline. It would be better if he were taken care of quietly."  
Kagome processed this information, surprised and irritated. "Surely you don't believe that pure bloodline junk!" she exclaimed.  
"Of course not." Sesshomaru said with a shrug. "I just want to see the world rid of one more pesky halfbreed."   
Thus said, he knocked Kagome aside and sliced an identical wound on Inuyasha's right side. Kagome stirred, finding her vision blurry. "Inuyasha.."   
Inuyasha stood his ground, even as the cut burned and stung him almost into unconsciousness. He lunged at Sesshomaru, his mind only on Kagome's welfare. Sesshomaru dodged easily; Inuyasha's lesion slowing him down. "This is almost too easy." Sesshomaru scoffed. "Really, little brother, I would have thought that you could put up a more admirable fight. I suppose the vultures really took a lot out of you, eh?"  
"Inuyasha.." Kagome whispered, trying to stand and get to where he laid.   
"Sessho-sama!" A small, very upset voice rang out. Sesshomaru froze... then turned around very slowly. Jaken stood there, bowing frantically, but Sesshomaru's concentration was focused on the small figure standing before the toad. "Rin! What are you doing here?"  
Rin's eyes were large and filled halfway with tears. "Sessho-sama, what's happening to Kagome-nechan?"  
Sesshomaru's mind raced frantically. How could he possibly cover up this horrible scene before the child? Inuyasha groaned, and began moving towards Kagome. At the same instant, the heavens opened and rain poured down. Sesshomaru turned to Jaken and commanded coldly, "Take her inside. The rain will make her catch cold." Slowly, the wasps disappeared, seeking shelter from the large drops of water. Almost crowing with delight, Miroku twisted away from the vulture and tore open his rosary cloth.   
  
Sango lay on the hard ground, letting the deliciously cool water drip into her mouth. She rolled over painfully, ignoring the blood that was already soaking through her garments. Stopping atop of Miroku, Sango dropped a tired kiss on his lips. "Thanks."  
"You can thank me later." Miroku groaned. "As soon as we find a hot spring."  
"Are you okay? You look pale."  
"Hey, it's not easy sucking in two human sized vultures, you know."  
Sango let out a sigh and dropped her head onto his shoulder, pressing her face against his neck. "We have to help Inuyasha and Kagome-chan."  
"In a minute." Miroku looked up at the cloudy sky, then at the girl in his arms. "I'm just being glad I'm alive."  
  
Rin struggled against Jaken's scaly hands. "Let me go! Sessho-sama, what's happening?!"  
"Jaken's taking you back to your room."   
"But I want to be with Kagome-nechan! Why is she bleeding, Sessho-sama?"  
Sesshomaru looked away, unable to meet the child's pleading eyes.   
"Rin, listen to me. Go back to your room."  
"No!" With one well placed kick in Jaken's knee, Rin broke loose and ran into Kagome's arms. "Kagome-nechan, what's happening? Why are you bleeding?"  
"It's nothing, Rin-chan. Look, you be a good girl and go back with Jaken, okay? Sesshomaru-sama and Kagome-nechan have to talk. So you go back and take a nice, warm bath, okay? We wouldn't want you getting sick."  
Rin cast a doubtful glance around. "Are you sure everything is okay?"  
"Yes." Kagome reassured. "Go now, okay?"  
Rin heaved a sigh and obediently followed a limping, grumbling Jaken back into the castle.   
  
Sesshomaru scrutinized Kagome skeptically. "You had a chance to turn Rin against me." he pointed out. "The evidence was all there, all she needed was for you to point the finger at me, and she'd believe it."  
Kagome cradled Inuyasha's head in her lap. "My fight is with you." she replied stiffly. "Not against Rin. Can't you see how much she adores you? I couldn't ruin the little girl's world like that."  
"Are you sure that's wise?" Sesshomaru asked, ignoring the rivulets of water running down his silky hair. "How do you know I won't hurt the girl?"  
"You love her." Kagome said, a matter of factly. "She's probably the only thing keeping you civil. You're good for each other."   
"Love.." Sesshomaru eyed Inuyasha, who was, at the moment, unconscious. "Love is a weakness." he pronounced. "It's impossible."  
"Love," Kagome said firmly. "is a blessing."  
Sesshomaru snarled, his composed face disappearing. "Leave. I never want to see you again."  
Kagome sat, bewildered. Water streamed down her face like tears, and her expression was honestly confused.   
"I will change my mind if you don't leave." Sesshomaru growled. "I can kill that worthless mutt right now. In one move. So you better take this chance, because it's the only one you'll have." Before she could fully realize what he was saying, Kagome found herself dragging Inuyasha up with her, careful not to aggravate his wounds. Looking toward the gate, she realized that Sango, Shippo and Miroku were already there, poised to attack if the need should arise, but also to flee, should the opportunity present itself. And, wonders of wonders, it had. As Kagome led a semi-conscious Inuyasha toward the opening, she took one last look back. "You know, Sesshomaru, love isn't only for humans and half humans. I wasn't lying when I said I fell in love with you."  
Sesshomaru watched the retreating group. "Then it's a good thing I let you go."  
And so there he was left, standing alone in the rain.  
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Ending Notes: Wow... almost done! Only the epilogue left to go. Anyway, before I run off to bed, (my mom's getting mad, it's 10:30 on a school night), I just wanted to tell you all that I'm planning on writing a IY and K ficcy where they're accidently bound by handcuffs. So well, I'll post it as soon as I think of a title. Hope you guys'll read it!  
C  
Thanks for all the reviews, they are wonderful! I love them! I LIVE for them!  
1/24/2oo2 


	11. Sunrise

A/N: I know this has been the longest ever since I updated, but what with school and moving and getting sick..  
*pity*  
But seriously, in the time I was away, I discovered Fushigi Yuugi!! Wah! Amiboshi and Suboshi are the cutest twins ever! Anyway, yes, I missed updating and hearing your genki reviews. Heehee. To tel l the truth, I was settling into a nice slump complete with writer's cramp, when sakura reviewed just yesterday and got me off my couch and online. Late reviews can do that to a person. Of course, I'm pathetically grateful. To those of you who actually liked the ending in chapter 10, don't let this mess it up for you! For those of you who were disappointed, which I know a couple of you were, of course, even if you were much to polite to just point it out, this is for you!   
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Reviews! I love you guys! I love reviews!  
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sakura~ I can't believe it's been a whole month. *sweatdrop* Thanks for getting me back to work! I'll email you as soon as I'm done with this.  
  
Shiori~ Thanks for the review! *sincerely appreciates it* Ouch is right.. poor Inu-chan. I could barely bear to do that to him. Kinkiness? Whoo.. now I can't wait to write it! Haha. Read! and Review!  
  
sarina-chan~ Well... since you liked the ending... maybe you shouldn't read this? Heehee... but I hope you like this and don't get disappointed. Thanks! Zaijian! That is chinese, right? Cuz I'm Mandarin.. and it sure sounds like it. *_* ^_^ Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Crono~ I believe you're right.. Inuyasha is sorta like Ranma. But hey, it is the same author... although *whispers* Inu-chan is cuter than Ranma. *cowers* Don't get me wrong, Ranma fans! I love him too.. but the doggy ears are irresistible!  
  
Robyn_Windsong ~ Thanks for the amnesia thing.. I didn't do research and it's great to get some actual facts on it. ^_^ And thanks for the constructive criticism, it totally helps to know what to work on. Last thing.. the 9.7 _is_ out of 10, right? Haha.. thanks for reviewing!  
  
sandy~ Heehee.. to answer your question, here it is! Review!  
  
MoonKnightMaiden~ Oh, you are so right about the list being endless. I mean, I would so link together Amiboshi and Suboshi. *sparkles* Haha.. really though, they are just too cute! Chichiri is too, though.. hm. Let's just handcuff all the bishonen together. Hehe.. thanks for reviewing!  
  
Jetflash~ Thanks! Oh, I'm really glad you reviewed. If you thought that was a great ending... maybe this is overdoing it. Oh well, thanks for reviewing! I like AU ficcys too... but mostly because it's interesting to see the characters in different situations than they normally are in.  
  
SacredWings~ Grace, I swear you are my most supportive friend. Heeh. I'm not good at writing action scenes. *sweatdrop* I'll just stick to sappiness and WAFF. I'm not sure about the sequel.. methinks I'll just do the handcuff ficcy first.  
  
kristy~ You thanked me for updating? *cries tears of joy* How nice of you!! Thank _you_ for reviewing.. and reading. ^_^  
  
Airiala~ Thanks! She can definitely kiss Inu-chan now.. the poor guy deserves it, doncha think? I hope you'll read the handcuff ficcy!  
  
ArmAndLeg~ Thanks very much for the review. I've only read one or two volumes with Sesshy in it too, so I wasn't quite sure how to tread. I couldn't bear to kill him off though, especially since a friend of mine would maim me if I did. *sweatdrops*   
  
Kumi Boa~ Thanks a lot for your enthusiasm.. I need it! I totally agree with the Inu-chan/Kagome thingy. I'm a very canon couple person. Except for Ami-chan and Su-chan... oh well. I hope I can get the cuff ficcy out soon! I hope you read it.. and review!  
  
Emmi-chan~ You are probably my most often reviewer! ^_^_^_^_^ I totally appreciate.. thanks for reading the whole fic!!!!!!!!!!!  
You're the best.. hehee. I'm really glad you enjoyed this ficcy, I hope you read the next one! Can't wait to read your reviews...  
  
Stormie~ I can't tell you how grateful I am that you pointed this out to me. !! If you hadn't... anyway, I'm working on a solution to that, but thanks!! Really. And I hope you read it. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
poetina~ Yikes. I totally didn't want to disappoint anyone with this ficcy, and I hope you came back to read the end and to find out it was an Inu/Kagome ficcy.. I hope you like the ending after the epilogue. ^_^  
  
Goddess of Death~ Hehee... Inu-chan's just fine! You'll see! Thanks for reviewing so much over the entire fic.. that's mainly the reason I update.. cuz I know people would want to find out what happened. ^_^ *sweatdrops* Guess I dont' have much ambition.  
  
Kimmy~ *sparkles* Another Legolas and Josh fan?! Let me just say, you have the best taste ever! Did you see Black Hawk Down? Legolas was just so adorable in it! God, I could go on for hours. But seriously.. Josh was incredibly HOT on the Tonight show.. I really hope you saw it.. especially the part where Jay Leno asks Josh if his new movie has any sexy scenes. If you missed it, I'd be totally glad to tell you his response. *sparkles*  
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"One thing that I don't understand," Kagome mused, settled comfortably in Inuyasha's arms. "is why I could see what was happening to you during the vulture attack. I mean, we've never had a telepathic bond before. Why now?"  
"It was the first time I really needed you." Inuyasha grumbled.  
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that, and louder this time?" Kagome teased.   
Inuyasha shifted, so that she was seated on his lap, facing him. "Well," he said rather relunctantly, "there might be an explanation for that, but I think that it's a stupid fairy tale."  
"I love fairy tales." Kagome protested. "Tell me about it."  
"Well.." Inuyasha started half heartedly. "There once was this demon, who fell in love with this human, but then one day, while the two were off on their own, the human was attacked by a vicious demon who was going to torture her. This human had once helped a psychic demon, and so, remembering the psychic's reward for her service, the human established a telepathic bond with the demon she was in love with. And when she called to him, he rescued her and they lived happily ever after. Until, of course, the human died of old age and the demon was still as young as the day they met."  
"How romantic." Kagome said drily. "Inuyasha, you can suck the beauty out of anything, can't you?"  
"Well, I try."  
"Hm.. but how does that apply to us?"  
Inuyasha stayed silent, until Kagome gave him a sideways glance. "Is there something you're not telling me? Because if you don't want to tell me, we can go rub alcohol on your wounds again."  
"Okay, okay." he said hastily. "Let's not resort to threats, okay?"  
"Good." Kagome said, satisfied. She leaned back against him. "Talk." she commanded.   
"Sothelegendgoesthatifahumanandademonaretrulyinlovetheyhaveatelepathicbondwithoneanotherbutnotverystrongbecausetheyaren'ttheoriginalcouple." he paused for breath, and she interrupted quickly.   
"Inuyasha!"  
"What?!"  
"Continue. But slower."  
"You are so picky!"  
Kagome cleared her throat and looked meaningly at her pack nearby.   
"Well, so that's probably what happened."  
"Inuyasha," Kagome said suddenly. "I love you."  
Crickets started chirping.  
Kagome twisted around to face him. "Inuyasha?"  
"Really?"  
"Really what?"  
"You really love me?"   
Kagome studied him carefully. Inuyasha's eyes were carefully blank, as if he were putting up a wall to shut her out. "Inuyasha," Kagome said slowly. "What are you saying? You didn't think I love you?"  
"You said you loved Sesshomaru." his voice was filled with quiet venom and his tone with pain.   
"Well," she grumbled. "it was an illusion. Besides, how can I love him, after what he did to you? And now that I've got my memory back.." she hesitated, then forged bravely on. "Inuyasha, did you know that I loved you for a long, long time? Even before I got amnesia."  
Inuyasha's lovely golden eyes widened ever so slightly. "That long?" his voice had gone slightly husky. "Yep." she confirmed cheerfully. "Such a long crush."  
"What's a crush?"  
"Um.. never mind."  
"I love you too."  
Kagome felt herself tear up slightly. She twisted and clung onto Inuyasha tightly. "Thank you." she whispered. "Thank you for saving me."  
"Don't get all crying on me now." he grumbled, but held her in return.  
  
"This was worth it." Miroku announced suddenly.  
Sango had her bottom lip between her teeth, concentrating on bandaging Miroku's arm. "What was?" she asked, glancing up briefly.   
"Everything. Saving Kagome. Getting her and Inuyasha together. Getting you."  
"That's not entirely true." Sango said. She tucked the end of the gauze in, patting it satisfiedly.  
"What part?" Miroku demanded.   
"The part where you get me." Sango replied placidly, systematically checking him for more wounds.  
"What do you mean?" Fear had begun to clutch at his heart, cold and squeezing tight.   
"From where I'm standing." Sango said, "I'm the one getting you."   
Relief had him kissing her deeply, as Shippo rolled his eyes at the foolishness of people in love. "I'm beginning to think Kirara had the right idea, staying to protect Kaede-obasan." he grumbled. Seeing as how no one was paying attention to him anyhow, he continued on with his tirade. "There's Kagome-chan with Inuyasha under that tree, making out as if they'd just found out they were in love or something, and there's Sango and Miroku over there, rolling ontop of each other. Oh well," he concluded. "I guess it's about time he got her. I mean-"   
Miroku disengaged himself from Sango just long enough to toss a heavy blanket over the small kitsune. "This isn't for kids." he said, before turning back to Sango. Shippo lifted off the cloth, and smiled peacefully at the sight of the light coming over the hills. "Oh look," he remarked, as much to himself as to the others. "The sun's rising."  
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Ending notes: Thanks for all those reviews! I love you guys absolutely much. Heehee. Well, I gotta go, but don't forget to review and give me feedback on my sequel idea and handcuff idea!! I REALLY NEED THE FEEDBACK ON IT. Heehee.. nothing like a little desperation to get the reviewers moving... right?!  
C  
New email!   
Skyweaver@Fushigiyuugi.net. Love it! Email me!  
2/24/02 


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